Crash
by okiegal2005
Summary: PostDNT, PreLOTF AU. Jaina rescues Jag, but that action has dire consequences.
1. Prologue

**Title: **Crash  
**Author: **DarthJaina Solo  
**Timeframe:** Around LOTF, but this is an AU that breaks off after the Dark Nest trilogy  
**Genre: **Drama, Action/Adventure, Angst  
**Characters: **Jaina, Jag, Allana, Han, Leia, Luke  
**Disclaimer: **I own nothing  
**Summary: **Jaina rescues Jag, but that action has dire consequences  
**Rating: **PG

**Dramatis Personae**

Alema Rar; Dark Jedi (female Twi'Lek)  
Allana; child (female human)  
Ben Skywalker; Jedi apprentice (male human)  
Cal Omas; Chief of State, Galactic Alliance (male human)  
Cha Niathal; Admiral, Galactic Alliance military (female Mon Calamari)  
Cilghal; Jedi Master, Healer (female Mon Calamari)  
Corran Horn; Jedi Master (male human)  
Gilad Pallaeon; Supreme Commander, Galactic Alliance military (male human)  
Han Solo; captain, _Millenium Falcon _(male human)  
Jagged Fel; Chiss exile (male human)  
Jaina Solo; Jedi Knight (female human)  
Jorr Maltis; Dark Jedi; Teacher, Shadow Academy (male human)  
Kyp Durron; Jedi Master (male human)  
Leia Organa Solo; Jedi Knight (female human)  
Lowbacca; Jedi Knight (male wookkie)  
Luke Skywalker; Jedi Grand Master (male human)  
Lumiya; Dark Jedi (female human)  
Soontir Fel; Chiss Baron (male human)  
Syal Fel; retired Imperial actress (female human)  
Tahiri Veila; Jedi Knight (female human)  
Thrackan Sal-Solo; Head of State, Corellia (male human)  
Trevor Ferenfay; Healer (male human)  
Wedge Antilles; retired General, Galactic Alliance (male human)  
Zekk; Jedi Knight (male human)

**Prologue**

_Jacen's dead._

Jaina Solo could hardly think of anything else. She had entered hyperspace an hour ago, and simply had nothing else to occupy her mind. Jag was still healing, and Allana was asleep.

Allana. Her niece. She was only two years old and already an orphan, her world completely destroyed, her mother and father both killed in the attack…both simply trying to protect her. Jaina had been too late to save them, but at least she could save _her._

And now that she had, it was all that she could do not to fall apart. At least when Anakin had died, she knew who had killed him, who the enemy really was. With Jacen, she had no idea. Someone had attacked the Hapes Palace, but their motives were just as unclear as their faces. The Galactic Alliance was gathering as much intelligence as possible, but they were no closer to finding answers. It had been a week.

_A week, and Jacen's still dead, Jag's still unconscious, and I have no idea where Mom and Dad are._

She could feel them in the Force. They were far away, but very much alive, and in as much emotional turmoil as she was. Jaina briefly sent her mother a wave of comfort, letting her know that she was all right, that she was safe. In return, she felt her mother's relief, her love, and her grief for her lost children.

Suddenly, she heard a whimper in the back of her stolen ship. Allana was awake. Jaina walked back there, reaching out as she did. She could feel the toddler's fear and wonder. Picking her up, she enveloped the child in her embrace, rocking her gently – and in doing so, assuaging both of their distress.

"Allana, baby, I'm here," she said. "I'm your Aunt Jaina, and I'll protect you. You'll be safe."

She felt her niece calming, and she laid her back down to sleep. She touched Allana's forehead, and allowed a smile to form on her face despite herself. She had nearly surrendered to her despair when her twin had died. Leave it to Jacen to give her a reason to keep going, even in death.

**A Week Earlier**

Tenupe was a dangerous place, even for a Jedi. Jaina didn't care. Jag was here, and he was alive – but only just. No one had heard anything from him in two years…but just yesterday, she had felt a cool flicker in the Force that she knew only too well. A part of her, she admitted, still loved him.

She had made it there; and now it was only a matter of finding him.

_Follow the trail._

The thought came from out of nowhere, and was certainly not of her own mind. At first she thought it was Zekk; though they were unjoined and had been for months, there were still remnants left from the time they had shared a nest.

Whatever the voice was, it was correct. Jag had exuded a trail in the Force that was as clear as it was faint. It led her through tropical woodland with almost no path to follow at all. At times, the swampland was up to her knees.

_And I don't even know what's living in these waters,_ she thought. _I must really love Jag._

The trail, the echo, kept gradually growing stronger the farther she trekked. She knew that he had walked this very same ground, and that he was nearby.

Then she saw him. He was slumped up against a tree, waist deep in water. His head was hanging down. He was asleep.

Now _that _just wouldn't do. She had gone through a lot of trouble in getting to Tenupe, too much for him to be sleeping throughout her rescue. When she got to him, she shook him awake. He stared up at her, his mind clearly elsewhere.

Then he removed his hand from his stomach, and she could see the blood there. A stab wound. He had been slashed through the gut by either a sword or a vibroblade.

"Jag…what happened?" she asked.

His head started falling to one side. "I don'…know," he said, using up every spare bit of energy he had. Jaina felt guilty for asking him a question; he wasn't strong enough to talk. Her first priority was to keep him alive.

She put Jag's arm around her shoulder and started to lift him up when a terrible, overwhelming sensation overwhelmed her. She fell to the ground, taking Jag with her.

_An attack? Where?_

She didn't know, but her mind reeled with one single thought.

_Jacen!_


	2. One: Hiding

Coruscant loomed into view as Jaina dropped into realspace. Jag was sitting next to her, having grown tired of resting and recovering from his injuries. She felt the presence of her mother there. Jaina had commed her a couple of hours before and told her that she was coming home. Her father was down there, too, joyful at the prospect of seeing his only daughter return, but weary that it may be the last time she ever would.

Jaina, too, had grown weary, but for completely different reasons. It had been ten days since Jacen's death, and she still had no answers. She lusted for revenge…but against whom? Or what? And when she found out, how far would she go? She had stepped into the dark side once before; would she fall again?

No, she refused to become a monster. All she wanted was to make her brother's murderer pay.

A landing pad came into view, and Jaina switched her ship's radio frequency. "Control, this is Colonel Jaina Solo with the Galactic Alliance military, requesting permission to land."

"Permission granted," came the reply on that frequency. "Continue on your current course."

She pulled her yoke back and felt the ship decelerating as it continued to speed toward the strip, which became bigger by the second.

"Where'd you get this ship?" Jagged asked.

"Hapes," she said. "It was one of the few that was actually flyable." She, of course, meant flyable without repairs needed. She could probably fix up any of the ships attacked there, but that meant time, and she needed to get off of that planet as soon as she could.

The freighter hit the ground and slowed to a stop at the end of the strip. "That was easy," she said, happy for the break in action. She wasn't ready for another battle.

She went to the back and grabbed Allana, and as the three of them exited the vessel, Jaina sent a message to her mother through the Force, letting her know that she was on the planet.

Then she felt her mother's presence, and realized that her parents were in the spaceport, waiting for her. She sighed, both relieved at the thought at seeing them, but also wondering what she was going to do about Allana. Neither of them knew that she was their granddaughter, and she had planned to break the news to them gently. Now, though, as soon as Leia saw Allana, she would know the truth.

Jaina picked up the girl in her arms and Allana started to cry. "I want Mommy!" she said.

Jaina felt the tears coming to her own eyes, and set her niece down. Allana was still too young to understand what had happened at Hapes, and she refused to accept that Tenel Ka was gone. Jaina didn't know how to make her believe it without breaking both of their hearts.

They walked toward the street, Allana grudgingly holding Jaina's hand, when Han and Leia Solo came into view. Han rushed to her and hugged her as tightly as he could. Jaina reciprocated, wrapping her arms around his waist. She didn't realize how much she had missed him. She couldn't help but start sobbing.

"I tried to save him, Dad," she said into his shoulder. "I couldn't, but I swear I tried."

If it was even possible, her father enveloped her more, and Jaina realized that he, too, had tears streaming down his cheeks.

"You're alive, and safe," he said. "Right now, that is all that matters."

He released her, and Jaina saw her mother looking at Allana, and it was clear that she had come to the right conclusion. There was no point in hiding the truth from them any longer.

"Mom, Dad, this is Allana," she said. "Tenel Ka's daughter…and Jacen's. Your granddaughter."

Leia's eyes met Jaina's. "How is that possible?" her mother asked.

Jaina shook her head. "I don't know." She knew what Leia meant. Jacen had been at the Jedi academy when Allana was supposedly conceived. Still, Tenel Ka was a Jedi. If she wanted to conceal Allana's paternity, she certainly had ways to do it.

Han stared at the little girl for what seemed like an eternity, and Jaina could see the shock passing through his body. Leia squeezed Allana's shoulder, trying to see what kind of response she'd get if she picked her up and hugged her. She finally decided to kneel down in front of her and wrap Allana in her arms.

Allana, strong in the Force as she was, felt the benevolence of Leia's presence. She returned her hug. "Where's Mommy?" she asked again. "I can't feel her no more."

Han put a hand over his mouth, trying to conceal the emotions forming. Leia looked up at Jaina, asking without speaking why she hadn't told the girl of Tenel Ka's death.

"Is Mommy gone?" Allana said.

Jaina rubbed a hand through Allana's hair. "Sweetheart," she said, "your mommy's…she's in the Force."

"Does that mean I'll never see her again?"

Jaina leaned down and met her eyes. "You'll see her again, but not for a long time. She'll always be with you, even if you can't see her with your eyes or hear her with your ears, she's still there."

But Allana only shook her head at this. "I can't feel her," she said.

"You will," said Jaina, touching Allana's heart. "She's in there."

Jaina felt a comforting hand on her own shoulder. It was Jag, and it was the warmest she had felt his presence since rescuing him from Tenupe. Obviously Jag had harbored hard feelings toward her after what happened with Lowbacca.

It was then that Han noticed his daughter's companion. "Colonel Fel," he said. "I take it this isn't some romantic rendezvous with my daughter." His words were a warning.

Jag quickly removed his hand from Jaina. "No, sir," he said. "I was marooned on Tenupe for two years, and was attacked shortly before your daughter found me. She saved my life by getting me to a bacta tank and bringing me here." Jaina noticed that there was only a hint of gratitude in his voice.

Luckily, Han dropped the matter. "I'm glad you're alive, kid," he said.

Jaina decided that it was time to drop the greetings. There was someone that she desperately needed to see. "Have you guys heard from Luke?"

The silence that met her ears gave her an answer. Jaina sighed. Luke had all but disappeared after Mara had been killed, six months ago. He had learned how to hide himself in the Force, and no one knew what he was up to anymore.

Mara's death was hard for all of them, Jaina included. But she had just starting to heal when Jacen died. She doubted Luke had.

"I have Jacen's…" Jaina's voice trailed off. She inhaled and exhaled and tried again. "I have his body."

An uncomfortable silence came between them, and Jaina felt the fullness of her parents'

misery. Han merely nodded, but Leia made no motion whatsoever. The entire situation reminded all of them too much of…Anakin. None of them had ever escaped the fear that they'd have to go through it again, but it didn't lessen the pain.

"Is Jacen in the Force like Mommy?"

Jaina couldn't answer that question, and felt a lump in her throat. Han shuffled the girl's hair in order to comfort her. Jaina could swear that he was holding back tears. Jaina wasn't, though. Her tears were flowing freely down her face. So were Leia's. She could feel Jag's discomfort.

Allana didn't wait for a spoken answer to ask her next question. "Was Jacen really my Daddy, like you said?"

She spoke this one to Jaina specifically. There was no use keeping it a secret from her anymore, Jaina figured, and she said, "Yes, he was."

"Come on," said Han quietly. "Let's go home."

Jaina doubted she had ever been so glad to hear those words. The five of them headed for Han and Leia's new apartment in one of Coruscant's beautiful skyscrapers. They conversed together on the way, talking about flying and racing and other subjects that seemed utterly meaningless in the circumstances, and that was why they were so welcomed. Allana didn't say a word on the way. Jaina thought that it was better that way. Nothing like a two-year-old to bring them all back to reality.

When they finally reached the indoor entrance to the Solos' apartment, Leia put her hand up to the print-reader, and after a red scanner passed across the reader, the metal door flew up.

None of them took a step forward, the shock of what they were seeing not setting in. The living room was in shambles; the built in couch was overturned; tables and chairs were thrown all over the place, some broken into pieces – particular the ones made of glass. Clothes, artifacts, keepsakes, were everywhere. Leia's most treasured possession, the painting _Killik Twilight_, was face down in the middle of the floor.

"I take it we're not staying here," Jaina said after moments of silence.

"I take it not," said Han. He turned to his family. "We should get to the _Falcon_, and go someplace safe."

Warning bells went off in Jaina's head and, she took it, in Leia's, as well. "I'm not sure that would be wise," her mother said.

"Why not?" Han asked.

This time it was Jag who spoke, breaking his own silence. "Think. Whoever did this knew where you lived, even though you've just moved in. It is probable that they've put a homing beacon on the _Falcon_ to track your movements."

"Then we'll search the ship, find the beacon and destroy it," Han said.

"Good idea," said Jaina. "Jag and I will do that, we'll take Allana to the Taris undercity. That's not a place they'll look. Meanwhile, you and Mom should take my ship and go somewhere remote. Like Hoth, or Dantooine."

Leia shook her head. "No," she said. "We're leaving the _Falcon_ here. If we remove the homing beacon, whoever this is will be alerted that that we're here." She breathed in, and Jaina knew that she was about to suggest something Jaina was not going to like. "Han and I will stay here," she said, "and try to sort this out. You, take Jag and Allana and go to Taris in your ship. We'll comm you when it is safe for you to come home for Jacen's funeral."

Jaina felt her heart drop. There was not a word that Leia said that she liked. "I want to fight, Mom," she said. "You know that whoever did this is whoever killed him. Don't leave me out of this."

"You'll have your chance to fight," Leia said. "But now you are responsible for a life other than your own, and you must keep her safe at all costs."

Jaina turned her head to Allana, who was terrified. She reached out to her in the Force, embracing the young girl in her presence, promising her that they'd be okay. "Okay," Jaina agreed. She felt a pang of sadness at leaving her parents again, so soon after being reunited with them.

Han nodded toward her, acknowledging her compromise. She could feel his worry. "We'll get them, sweetheart," he said. "You'll be back here in no time."

Jaina made every effort to believe him. She knew, though, that the danger they had found themselves in had just begun. She just hoped that they could get out of it in one piece.

--

As Jag studied Jaina's stolen craft for the first time since Hapes, he realized what a pile of junk it was. He now knew why it hadn't been destroyed; why even bother with it? With this realization also came the concession that there was no way they were going to get to Taris on it. Or, at least, not if it's pilot had a surname that wasn't Solo.

Jaina's thoughts, apparently, were not along these same lines as she closed the ship's fuel gate. She was just about to board the ship when a voice called out from the balcony of the docking bay.

"Jaina!"

The voice belonged to a redheaded boy who looked to be about ten-years old. Instead of getting on the ship, Jaina started running up the steps toward him. "Ben!" she called.

Jag suddenly knew who the kid was: Ben Skywalker. Jaina's cousin. The son of Luke Skywalker, savior of the galaxy. His eyes widened at seeing the boy. Jag had met Ben when he was only weeks old, but he hadn't seen him since. Jag was shocked by just how much time had passed since the Yuuzhan Vong war, though the galaxy remained affected by it greatly.

For a moment, Jag considered making his way to the cockpit and making some last-minute calculations while waiting for Jaina to board. He soon decided against it, and not just for the little girl who was sitting in his lap. Instead, he eavesdropped on Jaina and Ben, a trait he had perfected under the tutelage of his former flame herself.

"What are you doing here?" Jaina asked.

"Our house was completely raided," Ben explained. "Dad sent me to find you and said to get off-planet as soon as I could."

"How did he know where I was?" Jaina asked him.

"I don't think he did…exactly. He just felt that you guys were in trouble, too, and sent me to find someone – either you or Uncle Han and Aunt Leia."

Jaina began to lead him down the stairs. "Well, you're in luck, kid," she said. "We were just about to get out of here. Come with us and don't ask questions."

When Jaina and Ben reached the ship, Ben's eyes went immediately toward Allana. "Who are you?" he asked her, completely tactless.

"Allana," the girl said very quietly.

"This is your cousin, Ben," Jaina said, "and I don't believe you've met Jagged Fel. Jag, this is my cousin Ben." Jag nodded at him curtly and Ben waved. "On the ship, Ben," Jaina ordered.

"Can I fly it?" Ben asked. Jag shook his head at Ben's audacity. Jaina didn't bother, but he could tell that she felt like it.

"No," she said without any hesitation.

"Dad lets me fly all the time!" Ben argued.

"Get on the ship," Jaina said again. Grunting, Ben did as he was told. "Take Allana with you."

When the kids had boarded, Jaina turned toward Jag. "You up to being my co-pilot?" she asked.

Jag raised his eyebrows. He didn't want to admit it, even to himself, but he was extremely happy she had asked the question. He had almost expected her to assume that he was too hurt, that he needed rest, that she could handle the flying herself. He knew that her asking meant that she really did want him beside her. She was about the only person who found him useful at all.

"You don't expect me to lie around the entire flight?" he asked.

"Of course not," Jaina said, and the two went into the cockpit.

"Do we have clearance to leave?" Jag asked after he had strapped himself into the co-pilot's seat. It was a question Jag wouldn't have asked with anyone else flying beside him; but Jaina was her father's daughter, and to her, those kind of rules were merely suggested guidelines.

To his surprise, Jaina looked offended. "We have a thirty-minute window."

"Starting now?"

"No, starting thirty-two minutes ago," Jaina answered. Jag merely rolled his eyes at her. "Well, Ben held me up!" Jaina had to explain. Jag said nothing, again, and Jaina started the ship up. "Speaking of, can you take off and plot a hyperspace course? I should check on them."

"Sure thing, Goddess," Jag said. He used the term jokingly, and she shot him a murderous look and turned around, walking to the back. In his mind, Jag reprimanded himself. Years ago, he had fallen in love with Jaina Solo – she was the only woman for whom he had ever let his guard down.

Now, though, he wanted to forget that he had ever loved this woman. He had never totally blamed her for being exiled from his family and his people. At the same time, whenever someone under _his _command had acted as recklessly as Lowbacca had, he always expected to take full responsibility for their actions, whatever they may have been.

He pushed his yoke forward and the ship shot out of the docking bay. He pulled it back and soon he was watching the Coruscant sky turn from blue to black, and the stars became visible. Safe as it was to now enter jump coordinates, he turned on the navcomputer.

He wasn't sure why exactly he had felt so hostile to Jaina in the first place, much less why those feelings were fading away now that he was with her again. Perhaps, he reasoned, it was because he was grateful that she saved his life.

_Hutt spit,_ he thought to himself. He was far from happy to be alive and well.

_Knock it off, _his thoughts continued to wage war in his mind. _This kind of depression doesn't suit you._

He finished plotting the jump and pushed the computer aside. Just as he was doing so, Jaina appeared again in the cockpit.

"Kids strapped in?" he asked.

"Yeah, they are, but we have a change in plans," she said.

Jag felt his jaw drop ever so slightly and wondered what Jaina was up to. Instead of filling him in, she started to input her own coordinates in the computer that Jag had just used. Irritation at her filled Jag to his chest. Yes, she may have rescued him, but they were military equals – and he was _not_ going to let her keep him out of the loop.

"We're not going to Taris," she started, as if she could hear his thoughts. "At least not right away. We're going to Manaan, and there we'll rest you in kolto for a couple of hours. Then we're going to Corellia and dumping this ship – which, by the way, I've named _Anakin's Star_ – at Mom and Dad's private docking bay. Then we'll take a refugee freighter to Taris, using aliases, of course, and then we'll take shelter in the undercity. Piece of cake, right?"

For a moment, Jag just stared at her. "You've really thought this through," he commented.

"Well, yeah," said Jaina.

"So, what's changed – you, or the situation?"

She sighed, and suddenly Jag feared her answer. "I sense danger," she said. "And I don't mean like bounty hunter danger or even planetary danger. I mean, something's out there, and it's a threat to the entire galaxy, and until we know what it is, we need to do everything we can to stay safe. To keep _them_ – " she gestured to the back, where Ben and Allana were – "safe." She finished plotting the jump. "And to keep you safe."

"I can take pretty good care of myself," said Jag.

"So could Anakin and Jacen, and look what happened to them."

Jag didn't respond to that, but things made somewhat better sense to him at that point. He knew what it was like to lose a family member, and he had seen within his own family how it could change people. He had seen Jaina change after such an event once before, and now he was seeing her change again.

But Jag didn't want to admit to her just yet that he shared her grief. There would be too much understanding between them, and he still hadn't sorted out his feelings toward her. So, he changed the subject. "The _Anakin's Star_? Why didn't you name the ship after Jacen?"

"I didn't name it after my brother," Jaina said, "but my grandfather."

Jag's eyes narrowed. Now _that_ was a surprise. Jaina was the one member of the Solo family – other than Han – that wasn't haunted by the memory of Anakin Skywalker and the legacy he left behind.

"I know, it doesn't make much sense," she said. "I just thought, even if he was Darth Vader, he created something good. My mom and Uncle Luke, and they turned out okay, didn't they? He's kind of the forefather of my mom's family – in the Force, I mean."

He nodded. "I almost understand your reasoning," he said.

"It's hard to explain," said Jaina.

"So I take it." He left it at that. Through the window, the stars became elongated strips of light, and then they disappeared and the craft managed to make the jump to light speed. He still felt a bit disappointed that she had not used the course he had set, nor had she apologized to him for not using it.

_Oh, come on,_ he thought, _she saved your neck, didn't she?_

"Why didn't you tell me about this danger you sensed before?" he asked after he had unstrapped his belt.

"Because I didn't sense it until I meditated after I strapped Allana and Ben in," she answered.

"You meditated?" Jag could not help but chuckle a bit at that. Jaina was far from the kind of Jedi her twin brother had been once – introspective and questioning every aspect of the Force and his destiny. She preferred taking action to discussing the moral ramification of any action she might take. It was one of the things he had loved about her.

"Yeah, I did," she said. "I was about to explode. I had to."

He made a small noise of affirmation and didn't say anything more. An awkward silence fell between them, and that was when Ben decided to come up to the cockpit. He touched Jaina's shoulder as if he were interrupting something important. "Allana's hungry," he said.

"Very well," said Jaina, and she left once again, and Jag was alone in the cockpit with a 10-year-old boy who sat down in the pilot's seat.

"Jaina's never had a real ship of her own before," he said. He quickly retracted that statement, much to Jag's amusement. "She did – kinda – used to have an x-wing, but that was just a one-seater. This is so astral!"

This time, Jag actually laughed. He was beginning to like this kid – perhaps because of his sense of adventure, or because he used words like "astral."

"Where'd she get this, anyway?" Ben asked him. The kid certainly wasn't shy. Jag hadn't said a word to him and it was as if Ben hadn't even noticed.

"She took it from the Hapes spaceport during the attack."

"She stole it?" Ben's tone wasn't one of admonishment, but of excitement. "Astral!" he said again.

Smiling, Jag got up. Before he left, he turned to the kid, who had grabbed the yoke and was pretending to fly. "Hey, have you ever played Sabacc?" Jag asked him, a sly grin overcoming his features.

--

"I don't know if this is smart," Han said as he flew his speeder through the airways of Coruscant, his wife in the passenger seat. "He may be our friend and your brother, but there's something different about him."

Leia nodded, looking straight ahead as if she were the one driving. "I agree. I can feel it in the Force. But bear in mind that he is still grieving."

Han rolled his eyes at that. "Yeah, I wonder what it's like to grieve," he said. He hadn't meant for them to, but the words seemed to cut a whole through his heart. That was impossible, though, because it would mean that his heart wasn't already shattered.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Leia shoot him a look of reproach. He pretended to ignore it, but he understood exactly what she was trying to say. Yes, he was sorry about Mara Jade, and yes, he understood that the pain Luke was going through was unfathomable to most people, but no, unfortunately, Han wasn't one of the lucky ignorant ones, and neither was Leia. That was why, Han gathered, Leia felt confident that they could approach Luke at this time.

"How's Jaina?" he asked, knowing that Leia would be able to sense if she were in any danger – or if something even worse had happened.

Leia closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them again. "She's fine, and safe, for the moment," she said.

He was glad she hadn't mentioned that he had asked that question three times in twenty minutes. He had seen her, at times when he hadn't asked, close her eyes as if reaching out into the Force, and when she opened them again, he saw the relief spelled on her features. She would then tell him that everything was fine, and he believed her.

But he was dreading the moment when things would not be all fine, and Leia would feel it. It could happen at any minute, any _second_, so every time he saw her close her eyes like that, he braced himself for the worst.

Every few minutes or so a longing would come over him, a desperate craving, to, just once, be able to use the Force to communicate with his daughter – his little girl and only living child – and to feel her warmth even as they were light-years apart. Instead, he had to rely on Leia and her interpretation of the situation.

"Why Luke?" Han asked finally, after skirting around the question throughout the entire ride. "We haven't heard from him in weeks. He didn't even try to contact you when Jacen…when he died. You said that you couldn't feel him, that he was hiding."

Leia didn't answer right away. She leaned her head forward slightly and put her hand up to her forehead. "I think he needs us," Leia said at last. "And I think we need him. He has information of some sort, you know he does. This is Luke we're talking about."

"Information?" That word was funny to Han. So hallow, so meaningless. What were they going to do with _that_? "Listen, sweetheart, there are only a few things I need to know right now – one, that you and Jaina are safe and will continue to be safe. Two, who killed my boy, and three, where the fierfek they are and how I can get there as fast as possible. And they have to be close by. You can't tell me that whoever trashed our apartment are not the same people who killed him. I don't want kriffing _information_, I want a location!"

He had almost expected a reprimand from Leia after his tirade, but was disappointed. Indeed, he would have welcomed one, if only so he could have an argument with his wife and not think about his children for just a moment. "I feel the same way," she said, and her agreement was even better than any argument he could have thought of. "We'll find them."

"It can't be quick," said Han, a brand new craving filling him: a craving for revenge. Leia had always disapproved of such things, but she said nothing against Han's words or feelings.

"It won't be," Leia promised. "But in order to find them, we have to first – "

"I know, I know. We have to see Luke," Han said. The speeder took a sharp right turn, and when it did, Han caught the surprised look in Leia's eyes and he knew that it hadn't been from anything he had said. "Princess, what's wrong?"

Leia shook her head. "It's Jaina." Han's insides twisted. "She's fine, Han. But she's worried about us. She feels something wrong. And then she broke the connection, that's all I got."

Han drove the speeder into a parking building and pulled into a space, coming to a stop quickly and turning off the vehicle. "So she sent you a warning?" he inferred. Neither of them made a move to exit the speeder.

"Of sorts," she answered.

"You're sure she's alright?"

Leia put her hand on Han's arm. "The second something goes wrong, I'll let you know. I promise."

Han got out of the speeder very carefully. "I'll hold you to that," he said when his feet were on solid ground.

They walked together into one of the numerous Coruscant housing districts. "I know you will," Leia said.

Han focused on the buildings in front of him. "What if he's not home?" Han asked.

"He is," said Leia, a triumphant smile forming on her lips, "I can feel him."

When they arrived at Luke's apartment, Leia's brother opened the door before they even made their presence known. "Han, Leia," he said, trying to sound welcoming. "It's good to see you again. I was so sorry to hear about Jacen."

Leia was about to accept his condolences, but Han spoke first. "Is that why you haven't contacted us since it happened?" he asked.

She cringed at her husband's rudeness. Of course, she had known about Han's resentment towards Luke, as he hadn't really kept it a secret. She had just hoped Han would choose to remain civil when they did finally meet again. Clearly, that was a lost cause.

"I'm sorry about that, as well," Luke said. "I thought it would be safer for everyone if I cut off our communication. I wanted to explain this to you, but I couldn't risk it. Even you two coming here, it's dangerous."

Leia felt, rather than saw, Han's intrigue rise with her own. "What are you talking about?" he asked, and his tone hadn't lightened at all.

Luke invited them both in his door, and Leia could hardly breathe for what she saw. His house, like her apartment, had been trashed, only it looked much worse. Even the food had been tossed everywhere, creating a strong and not very pleasant smell.

"I'd been expecting something like this to happen sooner or later," Luke said. "They're ready to start."

"Who's ready to start what?" Han asked before she had a chance. She nudged him slightly in order to let him know that _she_ was the diplomat here, not him.

"The enemy," he said. Luke turned around and took a couple strides away from them, as they both wondered when he started to answer questions without telling them anything at all. Then he turned to face them again. "I do not know who it is, and I don't know why they wish to wage war on the Jedi. All I know is what the Force has told me through constant meditation since…since Mara died." Leia felt a hint of pain from her brother at the mention of his lost wife. She forced herself to swallow the sympathetic words that were rising in her throat. "And it has told me a lot. It has revealed a danger to the entire galaxy, a threat that would only begin…with me, you, and our families."

"Jacen and Mara," Leia said, understanding what Luke was saying – as much as he did, anyway. "Jaina tried to warn me about something earlier, through the Force. Do you think that she felt it, as well?"

"It is possible," said Luke. "It is no longer difficult to find in the Force; if she had meditated recently, she would have felt it." He took a step toward them. "I sent Ben after Jaina," he said more quietly. "He's safer with her than he would be with me, or with you."

"Jaina has left the system," said Han. "Are you sure he found her in time?"

Luke smiled at him softly. "I had figured that she would be taking off," he said. "So I told Ben to go to the spaceport. I sense that they are together right now, as well as two other people."

"Jagged Fel and Allana," Leia told him. "Before the attack on Hapes, Jaina rescued Jag on Tenupe. She then saved Allana from Tenel Ka's attackers." Leia took a sharp intake of breath, and then decided to immediately break the truth to him. "Jacen was Allana's father."

At those words, Leia felt a most peculiar sensation from Luke. It was almost like…guilt? Whatever it was, it was only fleeting before Luke completely clamped down on his emotions.

"How do you know?" he asked.

"We've met her," Leia said. "The Force was very clear on that matter."

Beside her, Leia knew Han was annoyed that so much of this conversation centered on the Force. Since he was not Force-sensitive, it took a lot for Leia to convince Han that he was useful for gathering information, even if he used more practical measures than the rest of his family.

"Listen, kid," he said – calling Luke "kid," so her brother would know that even though he may have been a Jedi Master, he was still that rash young farmer's son who had attempted to rescue a rebel princess he didn't know from aboard the Death Star for which he knew he was no match – "someone killed Jacen, and now he or she's still out there, taunting all of us and I can't go to sleep without wondering if I'll ever see my daughter again, so we would like to know if you can sense where his – or her – course is at this moment."

"I can't," said Luke. "They're hiding."

"You didn't even try!" Han argued.

"I _am_ trying, constantly," Luke told him. "I don't mean to sound arrogant, but I can track a person's course without meditating unlike most Force sensitives. This person doesn't want to be found – yet."

Leia felt Han's anger rise and put a hand on Luke's chest, claiming the next comment so Han would not interrupt. His fury was not Luke's fault – he was just mad that he had not gotten what he had come for. "In the meantime," she said, trying to calm everyone down, "I'm sure Jaina will take very good care of Ben."

"She will," Luke said. "I wouldn't have sent him to her if I had thought otherwise. And you two should know that Jaina is in no immediate danger."

Leia backed away from him and stood beside her husband again. "Han and I are going to find a place to hide for the time being," she said. "And I think it would be wise if you did, as well."

Han turned toward her, his eyes narrowed. Leia knew what he was upset about. If there was one thing Han hated almost as much as anyone who threatened their family, it was running away – and that was what they were going to do. Well, he would have to deal with that when they were underground. He was worth much more to her and to Jaina alive than dead.

"I will use the little time we have left to meditate and find some answers," Luke said. "Rest assured that as soon as I know anything, you will, as well."

Leia smiled, and, without warning, engulfed Luke in a hug. "Take care of yourself," she said, and she felt even more tears well up in her eyes. "We'll meet again soon."

When she released him, Han held out a hand to Luke. "Hey, don't try anything stupid," he said as Luke shook it.

Luke laughed. "You're the last person who should give that kind of advice."

Leia and Han walked back to the front door and the three of them exchanged their final farewells. When they had left Luke's house and were making their way back to the speeder, Han wrapped his arms her shoulders – holding on tightly as if he was afraid the wind would blow her away.

--

As Jaina tucked her blankets over her niece, she felt grateful that this ship had exactly four cots –two each in separate rooms. Traveling the course that she had plotted, it was a two-day trip to Manaan. She hadn't wanted to arouse suspicion by going a faster route.

"I'm not sleepy," Allana said.

"You don't have to sleep," Jaina told her. "Just close your eyes while the rest of us do." She reached to turn out the light about the girl's bed, but then pulled her hand back. "Wait a minute. We need to have a talk." She tried to keep her voice stern but friendly, but she wasn't sure if she had succeeded. By the look of fear that Allana now had etched on her face, Jaina thought that she might have come off as more intimidating than she had meant.

"In a couple of days, we're going to be landing on a planet," Jaina continued.

"Is it Hapes?" Allana asked, and Jaina could feel her niece's childlike hopefulness in the Force.

Jaina took a heavy breath in. "No," she said, hating to be the one to disappoint her so much. Hadn't the girl been through enough? "We're going to a different planet, and this one has water everywhere. There are even places where you'll be able to go swimming."

At this, Allana perked up, her smile reaching nearly to her jaws. "Mommy took me swimming once," she said excitedly, "I kept asking her to take me again!"

"Well, if you do what I tell you, I'll take you swimming some time while we are there," Jaina said. "But you have to promise to listen to me." Allana nodded at her intently, having no doubts to doing anything her aunt told her. "Now, when we are on the planet, you need to stay with me, at all times. No walking off. We travel together. If, for whatever reason, I must leave, you stay with Jag – and if he is gone, as well, with Ben."

"What if they go somewhere you don't me to go?" Allana asked.

"They won't," Jaina assured her. She believed those words – mostly, anyway. She trusted that Jag would not endanger her, and knew that Ben would not do it on purpose. Still, Ben was a child himself. Jaina resolved herself to have a talk with Ben later.

"Now, listen up, this part is very important. If you do get separated from us, do not talk to anyone. I will find you, in the meantime, don't act scared – and don't ask for help. You are not to give out our names – and especially not your name – to anyone. If anyone, at any time, tries to grab you or take you with them, scream and cry at the top of your lungs. Did you understand all that?"

Allana nodded again but did not say anything. Jaina wondered how much of that a two-year old would get, though the girl did seem to be remarkably sharp for her age. She figured that if Tenel Ka had wanted to take measures to conceal Allana's paternity, she could have elongated, which would mean that Allana could be roughly three months ahead in development as others her age. _Which would give her the aptitude of a child who was almost three, not to mention that she is really intelligent either way._

Regardless of any of that, Jaina wanted to make sure that Allana knew what to do and how to act once they arrived on Manaan. "What are you going to do when we land?"

"Stay wit you," Allana said.

"And if I have to leave?"

"Then I should stay wit Zag or Ben," she answered.

"Very good," Jaina said. "And what if you are alone somewhere?"

"Don' talk to anyone and wait for you."

"What if someone asks for your name?"

"Don' tell them."

"And if someone – other than me, Jag, or Ben, tries to take you with them?"

"Scream!" Allana exclaimed, highly amused by that order. "I can pwactice now if you wan'."

"No, that's alright," Jaina said with a smile. She kissed Allana's forehead. "I'm proud of you."

Then Allana shut her eyes and Jaina pulled out her bed light. There was a knock at the cabin door. "Come on in, Jag," she said, and he did.

"Ben's asleep," he said.

Jaina took her hair down and placed her tie on her bedside table. "He must have been tired," she said. "How did your nine-hour long Sabacc game go?"

Jag shrugged with humility. "He managed to beat me once out of eight games."

"Let me guess – he wasn't quitting until you won, so you, growing tired of Sabacc, decided to go easy on him in the last game?"

"Something like that," he said.

Both of them laughed together, and suddenly Jaina found it difficult to meet his eyes. When she had rescued him, Jaina had finally – however reluctantly – accepted that she might have still been in love with him. Still, his feelings towards her were much cloudier and less friendly. She could feel the ice melting in him, though. Perhaps she would ask him sometime why he had been so distant. He couldn't still be mad about Lowbacca, could he? Because that really wasn't her fault.

She awkwardly scratched at the back of her neck. "I should really get some rest. Everything should be in order with our course," she said. "You should get some sleep, as well. I'll double-check all of the instruments."

"Very well," he said. "I have to admit, I am exhausted."

"I've got news for you, flyboy," she said, "it isn't about to get any easier."

He flashed her a lopsided grin that reminded her so much of her father.

"Just the kind of conditions that I thrive in."


	3. Two: Complications

Well into the night, a small modified TIE-fighter made its way into the ancient Sith world of Korriban. Its pilot preferred larger-class vessels for flying long distances, but she wanted to remain unnoticed. She was meeting someone here tonight, and it would be better if no one knew of their affiliation.

The TIE-fighter landed next to the old Sith academy, a building that hadn't been in use for millennia. As the woman, a human with nearly as many cybernetic parts as Darth Vader, got out of her ship, she walked slowly – deliberately – towards her new pupil.

"Jorr," she greeted without any hint of warm welcome, "you're early."

Jorr Maltis, a tall fair-skinned human with light hair and deep blue eyes that were visible even this late at night, stood up as straight as he could. "I am eager to learn, Master."

The woman walked past him and headed into the academy. "Follow," she said. He did so. They came a hallway at the entrance and she faced him. "There is no need to call me Master. Lumiya will suffice in private. In public, I would prefer it if you would refer to me as Shira Brie."

"Understood, Lumiya," said Jorr, who gave a sort of stiff bow. Lumiya did not respond to that out loud. After Jacen Solo had forsaken his destiny, it was up to her to find someone who was powerful and wise enough to be the next Dark Lord of the Sith. She had doubts of Jorr's ability to fulfill that role – but she had been wrong about the Solo boy, and there was a chance, a small one, anyway, that she was wrong about this one, as well.

And if she wasn't, there were certainly ways to remedy that. The next Sith Lord was out there somewhere in the galaxy – and she would be the one to give them their rise to power.

When this war was over, there would be a new order ruling the galaxy.

--

Jaina had barely fallen asleep when she suddenly got a splitting headache. Opening her eyes, she realized that she was on the ground of the _Anakin's Star_, which, she knew, had jumped out of hyperspace. She hadn't strapped herself in bed, a precaution taken so she would wake up if something like this happened. She looked over at her nieces bunk; Allana was still sleeping soundly.

When she reached the cockpit, Jag was already there, trying to find the best way around a dozen E-wings that were threatening to attack. "Where'd they come from?" she asked as she sat in the pilot's chair and got ready to maneuver. "This is open space!"

"My read-outs are telling me that there's an unidentified satellite around here somewhere, circling a – an asteroid, it looks like. A huge one."

Jaina took the chance of looking out into the distance while the E-wings came closer. There she saw three distinct lights in the distance – a pretty large one, like a small sun. Then there was a much smaller light, seemingly a planet in orbit around that sun. Finally, she saw a miniscule dot on the other side of the planet, and this, presumable was the space station Jag's read-outs had warned him about.

"Check your computer again, Jag," Jaina said. "There's a small star system at two o' clock."

"Stars end," Jag said when he realized what Jaina was getting at. "No wonder a station that small could create this large an interdiction field," he said. "The energy's coming from the planet."

At this point, the E-wings, which had not broken formation, Jaina realized, were right in front of them. She could almost see the pilot in the lead fighter. She was breathing more easily than she had been when she realized that they weren't attacking…yet.

"Unidentified freighter," a voice came through their comm unit, "you are entering private space owned by Master Jorr Maltis leased through to his students. State your name and business here, or be fired upon."

Jaina knew better than to give out her true identity to mysterious shadows who owned a random plot of open space. She had to play her cards right if she was going to get out of this.

"That's not possible, sir," Jaina said. "Since you have not identified yourself I am under no obligation to tell you who I am. I will gladly face whatever trespassing charges Captain Jorr Maltis will bring against me, though I am sure he realized that illegality of building an interdiction field not sanctioned by the proper government authorities."

"I would advise you not to call our bluff," the squadron leader said. Jaina shook her head that he still had not identified himself. "_Colonel Solo_."

_Stang! _She bolted upright in alarm, and looked over at Jag, who bore the same shocked face she had. Immediately, she swallowed her fear; she didn't want whoever was on the other end of this line to hear it.

"So you know who I am," she said. "Impressive. Now, as long as we're exchanging advice – I would advise you to let us pass, and we'll pretend this whole meeting never happened."

"And if we don't?"

"Well, then, even if you do survive this battle, the GA will spring you with so many investigations that you won't have the time or the energy to enjoy many more battles," she told him.

After a moment of silence, Jag spoke into the comm. "I think you should take our offer," he said.

Jaina and Jag waiting in silence, and then heard the comm unit crackle before hearing a new voice through it. "Greetings, Jaina Solo, we meet at last," he said. "I am Jorr Maltis – and I must apologize for what, I assure you, is a huge misunderstanding. My subordinates were never supposed to have turned on the interdiction field, much less threaten you with physical assault. I have shut down the field, and you may continue on your current course."

A tight knot rose in Jaina's throat. Something was not right about this. Still, she hardly had any choice but to take the jump now. That presented, she knew, the greatest odds of survival.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," she said as she pulled the lever forward and the ship resumed its hyperspace route.

"Yeah," said Jag. He looked shaken…and scared. "So do I."

--

Jorr Maltis looked out at the sky, his arms crossed, as Jaina Solo and her companions disappeared. He wore a wicked grin on his face, and his sleek black hair lay down past his shoulders.

"Commander!" he bellowed, and a small man approached as quickly as it was possible to without running. Maltis turned to him. "Have you entered the transponder code for the ship with which I was just in communication?" he asked.

"Yes sir," the commander said.

"Very good," said Maltis. "Please inform me when they land with their exact location, right down to what docking bay they are in."

"Yes, sir."

"Dismissed." And then the man was gone, and Maltis was once again on his own to marvel in his victory. Times for celebration, he knew, were always short. There was still work to be done.

But soon…soon the galaxy would be a safer place for everyone…and Jaina Solo would be _his_.

His smile grew wider.

--

Jaina and Jag were both still motionless for moments after their jump, not because of their shock, but in order to come up with their next move. Neither of them had counted on Jaina being discovered when she was trying to hide.

"Do we adjust course?" Jag asked.

Jaina couldn't answer that question at first. There was still something she needed to know. "Do you think they know Allana and Ben are with us?" she asked.

"What difference would that make?" Jag asked.

"Worlds," Jaina answered. "If someone – out there – wants to kill me or make me suffer, they may decide it would be better to go through them, and I won't let that happen." Jaina pulled out her navcomputer and turned it on as she thought of Allana. There was no way she was going to let Jacen's daughter to be put in danger.

"We don't know that anyone's after you personally," Jag said, always the voice of reason.

"Well, whatever that guy – Jorr Maltis – wanted, it had to do with me. His feelings weren't exactly hidden in the Force." She sighed, slumping down in her chair, and stared at her computer. "Maltis," she repeated to herself, calling on her memory. "The name means nothing to me."

"Maybe it shouldn't," Jag said. "Maybe he's just some man trying to stir up trouble, or maybe he's helping to start a war. That doesn't necessarily mean that it has anything to do with you."

"It does!" she argued, her voice much louder than she had intended. She started putting numbers into her navcomputer and Jag grabbed her wrist gently, but did not move it.

"Even if they were after you, they'd have no idea we were going to Manaan. I think they are waiting to see where we land," he said.

Jaina brought her hand back. "You're right," she conceded, and she used the Force to turn off the computer. "We should continue on our course. But sooner or later, I want answers."

"You'll get them," Jag assured her. It was a statement of his faith in her, and her heart jumped when she realized it. Maybe his re-made grim exterior was melting once again.

Then she caught herself before she was lost in a dizzying daydream, and she used the Force to calm herself down. _It isn't the right time to fall in love_, she reminded herself. _There's too much else to do._

But after a minute, the daydreams threatened to come again. Not able to stand being in Jag's presence any longer, Jaina went to the back of the _Anakin's Star_ to check on Allana, and on her way out, she felt Jag's eyes watch her leave.

--

The Coruscant underground wasn't for the morally uptight, or for the faint of heart. Luckily, Han Solo was neither – though his wife may have bordered on the former. At least, that's how the petty criminals down here would see it. Hopefully, Han could get them to see reason – she had married _him_, hadn't she? – so that they could help them.

Their current quarters were a run-down condominium, and Han was impressed by how well Leia was taking the change in environment. She grew up royalty, after all, and was used to only the best of accommodations.

They had only been separated by a few feet when it happened. Han was selling his speeder to a male Twi'lek, and his attention was momentarily diverted from Leia, who was studying the map on her datapad. When he looked up at his wife, a shady man – most likely a changeling, but possibly a human – was approaching her. Han instinctively picked up his pace to reach her before he tried anything.

"You shouldn't be alone, dear lady," the man was saying. He took Leia by the arm, forcefully, and made her to go the direction he was going. "Come on, I'll keep you company tonight…and who knows? It may even be the best night of your life."

The man stopped when he realized that the person behind him had a blaster to his head. When he turned around and saw the look in Han's eyes he immediately released Leia. Han did not lower his blaster. "Oh, I am so sorry, Sir…I didn't realize that she was with you…please accept my sincerest apology…" And then the man actually bowed, which made Han smirk. He realized that Han was not going to put his blaster down, and he ran away in fear.

He turned to Leia, who was shaking her head, smiling. "You certainly have a way with words," she said and leaned up to kiss his cheek. As she was pulling away, Han took her and kissed her passionately, his hands moving down her back. And then, suddenly, Leia pulled away.

"Okay, okay," said Han, "we'll wait until we get to some place private."

"That's not it," said Leia, who was now looking up. "It's Luke."

"Is he okay?" Han asked, worried for him. Whatever his thoughts were about Luke at the moment, he was still the closest friend he had other than Leia.

"Physically, yes," Leia said. "And he's safe. But he's in terrible emotional torment. He's been trying to hide it, but just now his feelings must have gotten the better of him."

Han pitied him. Luke shouldn't have to go through this alone. He and Leia should be there for him, but he would not appreciate it if they endangered themselves in order to check on him. Besides, Han needed to stay alive for his wife and daughter.

"We're going to get through this, Leia," Han said.

Leia shook her head sadly. "That's what I said at the beginning of the Yuuzhan Vong war. We believed it then."

Han had been trying to shake the memories of that war out of him for years, but now they were all coming back. After Chewbacca, he tried to convince himself that he wasn't going to lose anyone else. Then Leia got hurt…and then Anakin died – the rodders had killed their boy…Jacen was captured and tortured, and befriended his traitor, though if Han had ever been able to get his hands on Vergere…and then there was Jaina, facing death day by day, overwhelmed with despair and loss…and somewhere along the line, his heart had broken for her. No one's little girl should have to go through that.

The war had ended, but they had only barely survived. They hadn't gotten through it, and they would never get over what they had lost. And now it was happening again – Han wasn't sure how much more loss he could take before he just gave up…and he wasn't the type of person to give up easily.

"We still have each other, and we still have our daughter," Han said. He thanked all the higher powers that existed in the universe for that, because he begged them endlessly for their safety and comfort.

"I'm worried, Han," she said, now starting to cry. Han walked her over to their darkened doorstep and held her there. "What if we never see her again?"

Han held her more tightly, and felt the tears falling down his own face. He squelched them. He had to be strong…for all of them. He couldn't let her know that he feared the same thing, every second of the day. "We will," he said. "I'm not going to let anything happen to her."

For a moment, he almost believed himself, and he kissed her again.

--

Finding a vacant landing platform on Manaan, Jag realized, was almost as difficult as navigating through an asteroid field. Luckily, the latter was not only possible, but probably, with either him or his pilot at the controls.

"I see an empty platform at the coordinates XX2673," Jaina was telling ground control through the communications system. "What's wrong with that one?"

"The platform you are speaking of," responded a smooth and icy voice, "is reserved for the Grand General of the Galactic Alliance military."

Jaina was now irate – and blast him if it wasn't amusing to watch. "He's on Coruscant!" she said. "He's not going to be anywhere near here within the next thirty standard hours."

"Nonetheless, in case of planetary emergency – "

"We'll leave!"

"Captain Solo – "

"_Colonel_ Solo."

"Colonel Jaina Solo of the Galactic Alliance, Jedi Knight," the responder mocked her, and it only made her angrier than she was, "if you would travel around the planet to coordinates XZ2307, you will find an empty platform. We can reserve it for you now if you'd like."

Jaina was just about to yell something else into the comm unit when Jag grabbed her hand. "Maybe we should just do what he says," he said.

"It's a trap," Jaina whispered, as if she were afraid of anyone else overhearing. "We've already put ourselves in danger by giving them our names."

Jag leaned back a little in his chair, but he did not avert his attention from Jaina. "So do we move on?"

"No," Jaina said swiftly. "We make them think we've moved on, and then we land. Inconspicuously." She grabbed the comm unit again. "Commander, thank you for your time," she said. "We'll be leaving this planet as soon as we can plot a smooth hyperspace jump." Then, before she could hear the commander's scathing reply, she switched the unit off and grabbed control of the yoke.

Soon, the landing station from which Commander Thelsin had seen the _Anakin's Star_ was out of visual range. "Jorr Maltis probably contacted them when he saw his re-enter realspace near here," she said. "I just can't understand why they are so quick to fall under his command. Unless…" She didn't complete that thought, letting it hang as she had spotted some abandoned land on the west side of a barely-inhabited island. "I'm going in."

Jag brought his hand to the ceiling, trying to find something to hang on to and failing. Jaina was just as reckless as he remembered. "I thought we were coming here so I could heal, not so we could all be killed!" he yelled as Jaina brought the ship down very, very rapidly.

"Sorry," she said, but she made no move to adjust their course or velocity. "This is the safest option, believe me."

Jag heard Allana crying in the back, and then, soon after, Ben's voice. "I'm sure we're going to be okay," he was telling her, "your aunt Jaina's the best pilot in the galaxy." The crying then subsided a little bit, and Jag saw Jaina's lips curve into a sad smile.

The smile quickly vanished, and the ship was moved into an upright position again. They had almost touched down, and Jaina – amazingly – had gotten the ship to come to a complete stop as she lowered it using magnetic beams. She laughed when they finally landed. "It's almost like Anakin being up here, sensing all the hidden technology in any world we go." Jag noticed a fleeting look of grief on Jaina's face but said nothing of it. Having lost his own sister, he knew that nothing he said would remove the scars that Anakin's departure had given her after the wounds had healed.

Jag removed his belt strap and looked at Jaina, asking without saying anything, if he could get Ben and Allana. Jaina agreed, again, with saying nothing.

When he reached the back, Ben was holding Allana, who had fallen asleep. "I used the Force to help her," he said. "I thought that it would be better if she had slept through the landing."

An unreasonable warmth crept into Jag when he looked at the girl, who was now at peace despite everything that had happened. He wondered at how it was for children, but he knew that her innocence – and with it her ignorance – could not last forever.

"We've landed," he told Ben. When the boy started to wake Allana, Jag stopped him. "No. Let her sleep."

And Allana did.

--

Jaina held Allana as they made their way to the medcenter on the island. She didn't bother with using the Force to help her with her niece's dead weight; she didn't want to treat her as a burden. Jag was in step right beside her, and Ben was trailing just behind them both. Not surprisingly, Ben was the only one who said a word for most of the way.

"How far is the medbay? We've been walking forever!" he complained, and she did her best to give him a reproachful stare. With a child in her arms, however, it was quite difficult.

Jag didn't seem to mind his constant questioning and whining. "It isn't far now," he said. "I'm sure you've ran a lot farther and longer than this with your dad."

Ben muttered something under his breath that Jaina chose to ignore. They could see the medbay from where they were now, and she was flooded with relief. Now, Jag could be healed and she and the kids could have a couple of hours to rest. Of course, Allana had already found rest, and Jaina wasn't about to take it from her.

"How are your wounds feeling?" she asked Jag.

"They aren't bothering me much at all," he said. "You know, I would have told you I didn't need kolto if I thought it would change your mind."

Jaina raised her eyebrows. "Then I wouldn't be the stubborn one, would I?" she said.

Whenever she thought about Jag and what they shared during the Yuuzhan Vong war, she wondered how they made such a pair. Both wanted things their own way, it seemed, and would hardly ever take no for an answer. Then again, some things just worked out that way. She could hardly fall in love with a pushover.

Jaina went on ahead of him, and she heard Jag mumble, "I wouldn't be too sure of that," when, apparently, he thought that she was out of earshot. She shook her head and walked on, soon aware that Jag and Ben were, once again, following her.

When they reached the medbay, a healer – a man with slicked back silver hair and a short mustache and beard, whose eyes were a cloudless grey, and who was wearing distinctly white robes – approached them. "I'd take the child in your arms into the ward, but she isn't the one in need of healing, is she?" the man said.

Jaina took a small step back. This man's force presence emanated from him, as powerful as any Jedi.

"Welcome," he said, and he greeted Jag by leading him into a conjoined room where life-sized tanks filled with kolto decorated the walls. "I am Healer Trevor Ferenfaye, the caretaker of this island."

"I am Jysella Rose, and this is my husband Ingatus," Jaina said, "and our two children, Corin and Kyra."

Healer Ferenfaye gave her a knowing smile. "Those disguises will not last long with the danger you will face, Jedi Solo," he said.

Jaina took another involuntary step back and Jag flinched away Ferenfaye's touch. "Who are you?" Jag asked. Jaina didn't wait for an answer before searching the man's true intentions in the Force. She found nothing but light there. This man was not an enemy.

"I believe I just told you, Colonel Jagged Fel," Ferenfaye said. "Now, please, let me heal you. You will need your strength soon, I believe."

"Are you a Jedi?" Ben asked. "You feel like one."

Ferenfaye smiled at him again. "I am…of a sort. Oh, not one of your father's students; I've never met the man, though I must admit that I have the utmost respect for his wisdom and guidance. I was never formally trained in your arts. Now, I fear, it is too late for me."

Interrupting any further arguments from Jaina or Ben, Trevor Ferenfaye turned to his patient and pointed to a door at the back of one of the tanks. "Through there, you can change. When you are ready, push the red button and a vacuum will suck you into the tank."

Jag raised his eyebrows at Jaina, as if he wanted her to tell him to forget about it, that this man was an utter lunatic. Jaina, however, just mouthed the word "go" at him, and he gave no further hesitation.

Once Jag had entered the tank, Jaina took Ben and Allana outside of the building. Trevor was still inside, examining Jag as his body rested in the kolto. Jaina found a seat on a stone by the building's entrance and Allana started to stir.

"I hungry," she said tiredly.

Ben, who had been picking at the ground, must have heard her and brought some plants over. "Here," he said, handing the girl a kind of stem. "It's good for you."

Jaina grabbed the stem away from him. "We'll find a place where we can buy food, Ben," she said. It wasn't that she didn't trust Ben's character – but her trust of a ten-year-old only went so far.

She set Allana on the ground so she could walk and held her hand, as the three of them walked off the path from the medcenter. The city was near, Jaina was sure. She could feel hundreds of lifeforms gathered in one fixed area. Sure enough, they reached the edge of a cliff – the water running below them and a pier just a few feet down. "Looks like we're in luck," said Jaina, eyeing all the restaurants down there. They walked down the hill to the pier – which was really a small city, or a village floating on a bay.

Jaina instinctively pulled the hood of her robe over her head. There was nothing good that could come out of being recognized here. When she did, Allana and Ben both looked up at her, as if expecting her to tell them to disguise themselves as well. Jaina only shrugged. "I don't think people really know who you two are, yet," she said. "But if it would make you feel any better, Ben, go ahead and pull your hood up, as well."

Apparently, though, it would not make Ben feel any better, as he shook his head and continued to walk. Jaina and Allana followed him into town, where they fell into step with a crowd of people. "There's a seafood restaurant down there," Ben said, pointing. Jaina, who was too busy noticing the creaking of the wooden boards below her to fully pay attention to him, just nodded. She was beginning to get seasick.

The restaurant was no less crowded than it was outside, but at least it felt like solid ground. Ben climbed up on a high-set chair at an empty table and Jaina followed suit, Allana sitting in her lap. Almost immediately, a droid came to their table. "How may I help you?" she said.

Ben gave her his order, but Jaina's eyes were fixed on a group of people at the back of the restaurant wearing what looked like military uniforms and looking at them…no, _staring_ at _her_, as if they knew each other. Jaina focused her energies on them – there were four of them, not exactly an army, and they weren't strong in the Force. Still, they felt _dangerous. _

And then one of them – their leader, no doubt – started to walk toward their table. Jaina, her arms holding Allana, got up and grabbed Ben by the hand. "Come on, we've got to go!" she said.

They started out walking so they would not draw attention to themselves. When the four men began to gain on them, they ran, Jaina ushering Ben ahead of her. After meandering their way in and out of the crowd, they were finally outside of the city – where they had been minutes before. Jaina looked out with the Force. They had lost them.

Breathing hard, she set Allana down again, and the three of them walked back to the medcenter. None of them said a word on the way there, not even Allana – who looked and felt terrified, and no longer hungry.

When they reached the center, Jaina stormed in with Allana and Ben standing at the entrance. It didn't take long for her to have Ferenfaye up against the wall. "Who'd you tell?" she yelled.

"I have not alerted anyone to your presence, Jysella," he said.

Jaina didn't let up. "Then _why_ are we being _followed_?" she asked through clenched teeth, just inches away from Ferenfaye's face. She was using one arm to hold him up by the collar, while her free hand was touching the lightsaber on her belt.

"I cannot say," Ferenfaye said. "However, it seems that you already know the answer."

Jaina held him there for a few more seconds, and then backed off. Who was she kidding? Of _course_ they were followed. She hadn't exactly taken every precaution she should have, or even every one she should have. If they were in danger, it was her fault, and no one else's.

But how? Even if their ship was being tracked, there was no way anyone could have gotten her that fast unless this Jorr Maltis already had his people stationed on Manaan…

That was it! But how could he have guessed? There were thousands of known inhabitable planets in the galaxy, hundred of which she could have been heading towards when she hit the interdiction field. He couldn't have just pulled the name of a planet out of his hat.

Jaina gestured toward the ward. "How much longer?" she asked.

"Ignatus has just been removed from the kolto tank," Ferenfaye said. "I was going to have him rest here for an hour – "

"We don't have that long," Jaina said.

"Yes, I am aware of this," said Ferenfaye. "Therefore, I am releasing him into your custody. I would advise you to make sure he gets his rest; he will not be fully recovered without it. But, as I am sure you'll be glad to know, his wounds are healed."

At that moment, Jag entered the waiting room. He was walking a bit wobbly, but he was still _mostly_ awake. Jaina went over and put an arm around his shoulder, leading him so he wouldn't fall. They stopped at Ferenfaye. "You must come with us," Jaina said. "If our enemies find out you've helped us…"

"I have my own means of survival," said the healer. "Farewell, Colonel Solo, Colonel Fel. Goodbye, children. I trust that we will meet again."

Before any of them could reply, Trevor Ferenfaye spun around on one foot and then he disappeared. Both Jaina and Jag whispered their exclamation at exactly the same moment.

"_Stars' end." _


	4. Three: Always in Motion

_"You killed her!"_

_Luke could see himself, his face…his mouth was open wide, wider than human mouths should ever open. His tongue was a monster waiting to release its venom. Luke was so transfixed by what he saw that he didn't even hear the other person's arguments, the cowardice in his voice. _

_Then Luke saw his eyes turn yellow – the color of eyes tainted by murder and hatred – right before he thrusted a vibroblade, not his lightsaber, into his victim's stomach. Luke – the dream Luke, not the real Luke – relished in the other man's suffering as poison flowed through his blood. He would soon be dead…very soon…_

_And then it was over._

Luke darted up out of bed, but, asleep or awake, he was still unable to escape the truth of what he had done.

Going back to sleep was out of the question. He hadn't slept in months, not since Mara died.

No – that wasn't true – he had gotten at least a couple of hours each night after she died. It was after…after he had taken justice into his own hands that he couldn't anymore. His conscience kept screaming at him, and it was the loudest when he was asleep. So he stayed up, working, meditating, trying to find some answers to the evil that was going on right now.

And, fortunately for him, answers were making themselves known.

The puzzle was coming together for him, and he reckoned for others, as well. For Leia, certainly. She was just as eager to find the person responsible for her son's death.

A cold shiver traveled down his spine. Han and Leia. It had been hard enough to face them after Anakin had died, but he had…for their sake. And they'd returned the favor when Mara was murdered, but after Jacen…after Jacen he had run and hid like a coward. And that was what he was, wasn't it? A coward.

He ignored the self-loathing that he now felt; ignored it because there were bigger issues. If the darkness was finally showing itself, it wouldn't belong before its true power was unveiled. And Luke could atone for everything if he could just keep his friends and family safe.

And that was the true reason he refused to sleep.

--

_Leia watched as Jacen walked briskly into the Hapes Palace. His lightsaber was lit, and there was nothing but grim determination written on his face. And then he engaged his adversary, not with his weapon, but with words._

_"I know the truth now, Lumiya," Jacen said. "I know everything."_

_Lumiya was hidden from her. She was in the shadows. Leia, however, could hear her voice. "It was only for the good of the galaxy, Jacen Solo," she said. _

_And now Jacen showed anger, real anger, as he came closer to Lumiya, until they were only a few feet away. "I should kill you now," he said._

"_You should," Lumiya said. "But you won't. There's too much Jedi in you." Leia heard Lumiya's sneering laugh, and she herself became engulfed in fury. "You could have been a great Sith, Solo. The greatest ever, perhaps. But you have chosen your path, and now, it seems, there is nothing I can do about it."_

_Leia was twisting around, trying to see her, trying to stop her before she struck…because she knew now…she knew the truth…_

Her eyes flashed open and she found herself in her ruddy old apartment, with Han asleep by her side. She squeezed his shoulder, and he immediately shot up.

"What is it?" he asked, not a hint of sleepiness in his voice.

"I know who killed Jacen."

--

_Jaina faced a man she didn't recognize, but in the dream…in the dream she knew who he was. She saw herself falling down at the pure strength of him. He had a hand over her mouth and was leaning down over her…closer…closer…_

"_Stop!" she yelled, watching the scene from afar. But neither the man, nor her own self could hear her._

_The man started to talk. "I've waited years for this, Jaina," he said. He wasn't speaking as a volatile enemy, but as someone obsessed with getting what he wanted. "And now…I have it."_

_He leaned down even further, and his body was almost on top of hers, but they weren't touching…Jaina watched in terror…_

Then she jolted upright, finding herself back on the _Anakin's Star. _Allana was crying. She, too, had a nightmare.

She fell back on her pillow, and closed her eyes to stop the stinging that came from her own tears.

--

Han watched as Leia threw clothes, datachips, and all kinds of personal possessions into her bag. He didn't say anything, and he also made no move to pack his own things. Leia was in a rampage, eager to find this person; as eager as he was…but they didn't know where to start looking. He supposed that he should trust his wife, but he wasn't sure why this trek couldn't wait until the morning. After all, it would look much less suspicious that way.

When the comm beeped, Han went to answer it, leaving Leia there to finish what she had started. In the living room, he turned on the holotransmitter, and the image of Luke covered the night table.

"Han, I was hoping you would answer," he said, nary a word of greeting. "It's all coming together."

Before Luke explained, Han launched into his own story of what had been going on with Leia. "She had some sort of dream or vision – I don't know – and now she only wants to find this woman named Lumiya. Does that mean anything to you?"

"Lumiya?" Luke repeated. "I've never heard the name."

"Well, Leia thinks that she killed Jacen," Han said. "And if she's right, then I'm going after her. Personally."

Luke was silent for a few seconds. Han thought that he was trying to think of something to say that would ease Han's vengefulness. If that was the case, nothing came of it. "If that's true, then you need to be careful," Luke said. "I don't think that she will be an easy opponent."

"I had already figured that," Han said. Silently, he made a promise to himself to stay alive – for Leia and Jaina. If they died, however, then that promise would become null and void. "I'm following my own advice. I'm not going to do anything stupid. Stupid for me, anyway."

Luke gave his best grin – but he still looked very grave. "At the moment, Han, I'm more worried for Leia."

Han returned the grin, and he left no trace of any uneasy feelings inside of him on his face. "Hey, I'm not going to let anything happen to her," he said.

"I didn't think you were," Luke said. "But sometimes we find that we can't protect the ones we love."

There was a strange silence between them. Han was thinking about his boys…and he was sure that Luke was thinking about Mara. They were just two men who were always trying to save the galaxy – two men who had lived a lifetime of tragedy.

"Luke, what do you know?" Han said at last.

"I sense a presence," he said. "A man. He wants something…very, very badly. He's obsessed in his quest, and he's dangerous. His thoughts are centered on your family. And then there's a woman – perhaps, Lumiya – who is somehow closely connected with him. It's almost like…she's teaching him."

Han sighed. This wasn't exactly the kind of information that he had hoped for. The thought that this man was hunting for his family – his wife and his kid – scared him, but he had already known that the danger was centered around them. It wasn't anything new.

"Han," Luke implored. "I have seen the future. They have a mission, and if they succeed…the entire galaxy will be ruled by the fear they inspire."

"Like the empire," said Han.

"Yes," Luke said. "Like the empire…but different, in some ways, as well. For one, I sense no malevolence from this woman."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know," Luke admitted. "But I have a feeling that it means she's more dangerous than anyone we could imagine."

"Force help us all."

--

"You know, Artoo, I think there's something different about Master Luke these days," C-3PO said to his mini-sized companion as they watched their human master retreat to his bedroom. "He's hardly spoken to us in weeks. I'm starting to wonder if I don't prefer Master Han."

Artoo gave a thoughtful whistle.

"_Of course_ I'm happy to be back with you!" Threepio argued. "I was merely pointing out Master Luke's aloofness ever since the death of Master Jacen – I do miss him."

Artoo whistled again.

"I suppose I mean both Masters Luke and Jacen," Threepio answered.

There was a series of low beeps and whistles from Artoo that caused Threepio to turn his torso in shock.

"What, you mean you _know_ how Master Jacen died?" Threepio kicked Artoo in his restraining bolt. "Why haven't you mentioned anything before?" Another series of whistles. "Forbidden? What in the galaxy could forbid you from telling the truth?"

Artoo gave a final, sad moan, and then he left, leaving C-3PO's question unanswered.

--

"We're coming up on Corellia," Jag said as Jaina entered the cockpit. He took note of her features. "You look shaken. Everything okay?"

Jaina just shook her head and strapped in. "It's nothing. Bad dream," she said. "Ben and Allana are in the back. Any news?"

"None." Jag didn't like how things were going ever since they had left Manaan. It was too easy. Everything up to this point had been too easy. Jag was no stranger to war and to battle strategy. Things were about to blow open, and he was sure that Jaina had the same idea.

"Entering realspace in 10 seconds," Jag said, switching his and Jaina's navicomputer to manual control. "5, 4, 3, 2, 1…" The stars came back into view and the _Star_ gave a tiny jolt as Corellia loomed in front of them.

"Do you want to handle the talking, or should I?" Jaina asked.

Jag shrugged. "You are the one with diplomacy in your blood."

Jaina rolled her eyes. "Thanks a lot, Mom," she said. She fired up the communications system, however, without reluctance. "Corellia Ground Control – this is the _Anakin's Star, _requesting permission to enter Corellia's atmosphere in order to land in the private docking bay 55530."

There was static, and then silence. Jag took his hands off of his yoke and folded them in his lap, fully expecting some sort of complication. He knew Jaina Solo too well for there not to be one.

Then a woman's cool voice answered. "Colonel Solo," she said, "I'm glad you could make it. I must admit I was getting worried."

Jag's head turned and his eyes found Jaina, who was staring directly forward with her mouth hanging open. "This can't be good," she said under her breath.

He grabbed the commlink. "Who is this?"

"I am known as Brisha Syo."

Jag saw Jaina soundlessly mouthing the name to herself. "It means nothing to me," she told him.

"I'm sorry Jaina, but the fact that it means nothing to you, means nothing to _me."_

"I don't sense immediate danger," Jaina argued. "I think we should carry on."

Jag felt a headache coming on. _Why _did Jaina have to be so stubborn? Especially when it wasn't only _her_ life on the line.

"Well, what else do we do?" she asked, as if she had read his thoughts.

"I don't know – hide the kids, alert the military, get your fighter…anything but walk right into this."

Jaina grabbed his arm. "Listen, Jag," she said, "This women wants a meeting with me. You guys can hide – protect yourself, _please. _The Force is guiding me and it's telling me that this is our next move."

Jag shook his head. "I don't like it."

"I know you don't," Jaina said. "But this really is the best option. Trust me."

He didn't say anything else as Jaina grabbed the commlink and spoke into it. This was a bad plan. From his own military standpoint, it was obvious they were walking straight into a trap. Was Jaina the kind of person to shy away from traps? Was _he?_

"I am very pleased to meet you, Miss Syo," Jaina said. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I've been anxious to talk to you," came the answer. "Perhaps, once you are on-planet, we can arrange a time and place?"

Jag felt Jaina's eyes move ever-so-slightly in his direction. "Listen to me," she said in an urgent whisper. "When I leave, I want you to go to one of these private cantinas – I know Allana and Ben are too young, but it's the most inconspicuous place to go – and wait for me there."

He opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, Jaina spoke into the commlink again. "That sounds like a good idea. You name the place."

"I happen to have access to the Corellian Courthouse in Coronet. Perhaps you can come by the Ballroom at about eighteen hundred hours?"

A trace of a smile formed on Jaina's lips. "I'll see you then."

"Very well, Colonel Solo. Carry on with your landing."

The connection dissipated. Jaina handed Jag the commlink and Jag stared at the cursed object for a couple seconds in silence. His anger rose up to his chest. No way. No way was he going to let Jaina go off alone…and yet what choice did he have? He chucked the link against the wall. Jaina didn't even flinch.

"Well, I guess you can throw trust out the window," she said, and she was so calm that it made Jag want to throw _himself _out the window, into the great abyss.

"What the _hell _are you thinking?" he asked, very close to screaming.

Crying. Allana. _Kriff! _The sound merely increased his edge, made his anger more apparent. Nothing Jaina could say could make him felt alright about this.

"If I promise to return, will you calm down?" Jaina asked.

"That depends," he said. He was talking in a normal voice now, but only barely controlling it. "Would you mean it?"

Jaina sighed. "I'm a Jedi, remember?" she said, and Jag was forced to swallow his words for a moment. "I'm not that bad at taking care of myself. And you can take pretty good care of _yourself_, and the kids aren't that hard."

"It's not them I'm worried about," Jag said. It was true. He knew that Jaina would fall off the ends of the planet before she let anything happen to them. "What if something happens? Something unforeseen? And we never…" He couldn't finish the thought, not after all the time that had gone by. Not after all that had happened. "I fell in love with a girl once and I knew I couldn't order her around. That's how I lost her and I cannot bear to lose her a second time." There. It was the closest he had come to telling her that, yes, he still loved her – but he was still a long way from those exact words. Thoughts and feelings, sure, but saying them out loud was another thing altogether.

Jaina reached out and touched his hand, and his blood went warm. "There is absolutely nothing that can keep me away from you, Jag," she said. "There's this huge mess between us, and do you think I'm going to let myself be killed without working it out?" Jag shook his head. No, of course not. _Of course_ she was going to come back. Too much counted on it.

Allana was no longer crying. "Ben is good with her," he said. "Like a big brother."

"He's still very young," Jaina said, and Jag nodded. Jaina was bringing the ship into the landing bay and powering down. "He's never had anyone younger to take care of."

"Well, neither have you," said Jag.

"I've had Anakin," Jaina said.

Jag had no answer for that as the ship docked and completely shut down. He and Jaina had something in common. She had lost two brothers to war and murder; he had lost two brothers and a sister. He could never repay the people who had hurt his family enough. He just did his job, and then he got himself exiled and marooned on an unknown planet.

They unstrapped themselves and before Jag opened the hatch to the back, Jaina grabbed his wrist. "I have to leave now if I'm going to make it in time," she told him.

In that moment, a part of Jag, the part of him that rushed into things and thought with his heart and not his head, yearned to kiss her farewell, in case this was his last chance. Jag, however, was not the type of person who did whatever his emotions asked whenever they asked. "You need to know where we'll be," he said. It was a statement, not a question.

"I'll know," Jaina said, pointing to the ceiling. "Jedi, remember?"

Jag smiled…truly smiled, for the first time in years. "It's not like you'll ever let me forget."

--

Jaina made the journey alone to the Coronet Courthouse. She did her best to disguise her emotions in the Force, in case a Force-user was present – but she wasn't nearly as gifted in that sort of thing as Jacen had been. She had a feeling that it wouldn't matter, anyway.

The truth was, she was _scared. _And not just of dying. Jaina Solo had never feared something so inconsequential as her own death. Right now, she was afraid of leaving everyone else behind. She wasn't as sure of her own survival as she had told Jag – disguising the truth was the only way to convince him to let her go (not that she needed his permission, but it was nice to have, nonetheless).

Truly, the thought that the conversation they had just had on the _Anakin's Star_ would be their last terrified her. And then there were her parents…she couldn't imagine the kind of pain this would cause them.

She wasn't sure why she was so scared. She wasn't going on some covert operation…and the Force was guiding her – telling her that she would be safe if she would just follow it. Still…one wrong move… Danger was all around.

She entered the darkened ballroom, if you could call it that. It appeared to have been out of use for millennia – cobwebs filled every corner, spiders and cockroaches roamed the walls, and she could see numerous dirty footprints on the concrete floor.

Something was wrong. She was alone. She could feel no other life-form in the room. The judges and jurors had all gone home – the work day was over in Corellia, and it was time for partying through the night.

So, where was Brisha Syo?

"I'm right here."

Suddenly, the lights turned on in the room and Jaina saw a beautiful women approach – tall and blonde and wearing a denim suit usually reserved for senators and women in government. And just as suddenly, the women's presence emanated from her, so that Jaina could feel her very warmth.

Jaina understood. This woman was well-trained in the Force, but she wasn't a Jedi. Jaina's hand instinctively reached toward her belt.

"You won't need to draw your weapon, my friend," Syo said, but Jaina kept her hand there, just in case.

"'Friend' is a very interesting term," Jaina said. "Are you sure it's appropriate?"

"Oh, I hope it will be," Syo said. "I think you'll want to hear what I have to say."

Jaina raised her eyebrows. "I already want to hear it, Brisha. I'm not so sure I'll like it."

The other smiled at her as if this was the answer she had expected. "Just as stubborn as I thought you were."

Jaina's jaw tightened. "You'll find I can be very stubborn when the situation calls for it," she said. "But if you think you are persuasive, go ahead."

Brisha walked around to the other side of Jaina, who didn't move to face her. "Handsome companion," she said. "Cute kids, too."

"Get to the point." Jaina still didn't turn around.

Brisha laughed, very quietly, but Jaina could still hear it. "I understand that you have had a run-in with a man named Jorr Maltis." Jaina said nothing, and felt Brisha take her silence as affirmation. "He's a fan of yours."

Jaina _really _didn't like the sound of that. She was sure that her concern was evident to Brisha in the Force, but she managed to keep her cool and pass it off with a small, "oh?"

Brisha Syo circled her again so that now they were facing each other. Jaina met her eyes and kept her expression unreadable, both on her face and in the Force. "Today, intelligence agents of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances are going to happen across certain – ah, _confidential_ – information concerning Corellia. I don't mean to alarm you, but Corellia is planning on an insurrection. They wish to secede – not only that, but they are gathering as much support as they possibly can. Already have they gained the Hapes Consortium as an ally."

The truth hit Jaina as if she had been run over by a bantha. "That explains the attack on the palace."

"Indeed," said Brisha, taking a few steps toward Jaina – who was still unmovable. "The Queen Mother would never betray the Federation – so Corellia had to take her out of the picture and leave Hapes in disarray if they were to ever get them on their side."

Jaina breathed deeply and closed her eyes. "What does this have to do with me…or Jorr Maltis?" she asked. "I don't think this was a mere courtesy call."

"No," said Syo, walking behind Jaina again. "It's about something called Operation Warlord – and the Corellian Armed Forced have called on me to carry out phase five."

"So you're a spy," Jaina inferred.

Brisha laughed in a high-pitched voice that made Jaina's ears hurt. "Not a spy, Solo. A spy doesn't give away her allegiances so easily. I am an agent of Corellia sent to give you a message."

"What message?"

Brisha walked to face Jaina and she gave a smile that Jaina despised. "A bomb, Solo," she said quietly. "On Coruscant."

Jaina sent out alarm in the Force, and Syo laughed again. "Where?" Jaina asked, fighting to remain cool.

"Oh, no, no, no," Syo said – amusement filling out her voice. Then she pulled something out of her belt – a remote control. "I'm not about to tell you where. See this? This controls it." She showed Jaina the main control on the remote – a metal switch flipped to the down position. "If I flip this on, the bomb detonates, no warning, no evacuation – just destruction, death, and – well, you get the picture."

Jaina's grip on her lightsaber tightened. "What do you want from me?"

"That's easy," Syo said. "I want you. Here. In a week, exactly. Ready to surrender yourself to General Maltis's command. You do that, this switch stays down and no one will be the wiser. Well, about the bomb, anyway."

Jaina pursed her lips. What a spot to find herself in! She searched Brisha Syo's aura for any sign of deception – and she definitely wasn't bluffing. _Stang! _"You're giving me a week."

"Yes, Colonel," Syo explained. "Go home bury your brother. Alert the military about the insurrection – they'll already know, though. If you even come close to mentioning the bomb or our plans for you, personally, I'll know… and let's just say we don't have it planted in an isolated area of the planet."

"It seems you thought of everything," said Jaina, trying her hardest to keep her fear and anxiety at bay. "I'm not fighting against the Federation."

"You won't be asked to."

"Alright then," Jaina said. "If that's all the business you have – I have other matters to attend to."

Brisha Syo smiled as Jaina made her way, swiftly, through the exit.

--

It wasn't right to be in a cantina with two children. Jag felt uncomfortable. Lucky for him, no one else noticed Allana or Ben. The three of them were sitting at a table, all drinking water, and every two minutes Jag would look toward the entrance to see if Jaina had made it back. He prayed to whatever gods existed that she would.

And when she finally did make it through that door, there was no mistaking her. He would have recognized her dark hair and equally dark eyes, her confident stride, and her no-nonsense military demeanor anywhere. It was a stark contrast to everyone else in the restaurant, and it made his heart jump with relief.

Not only his heart, but his entire body, as well, as he walked to greet her, the kids right behind him. He almost threw her into an embrace, but controlled himself. When they were face-to-face, there was no denying from her countenance that _something _had gone wrong. His heart dropped again.

"What happened?" he asked.

Jaina smiled – but it wasn't genuine, he could tell, for he had known Jaina well enough once to know what a genuine smile on her face looked like. "She gave me a warning," Jaina said. "Corellia is planning their own rebellion it seems."

Jag nodded, a million thoughts forming in his mind. "So what do we do next?"

"We abandon our course to Taris," Jaina said. "We go to Coruscant. We plan to fight a war."

"That makes things easier – knowing who we're fighting," Jag said.

"Yes," said Jaina, with her eyes looking into the distance. Jag knew that her mind was elsewhere, that something was worrying her. The impending war? Perhaps… There was still doubt, though, and the lingering thought that there was something quite big that she wasn't telling him.

"I guess, we all can come out of hiding now that the gauntlet's about to be thrown," Jag said.

"Guess so," Jaina confirmed. "That also means the funeral can commence."

Suddenly Jag realized that he had found the answer to Jaina's state of sorrow. The prospect of saying goodbye to her twin was too much for her. She almost missed Anakin's funeral – he remembered how far into despair his death had plunged her. Could it be happening again?

No. Jaina was stronger now. Older and wiser, too.

Jag cupped Jaina's hands with his and looked straight into her eyes. "If there's ever anything you need from me – if you need a break from squadron duty, or privacy from commanding officers – all you have to do is ask."

Her lips curved upward slightly, her eyes yearning for the happiness that had left her so long ago. "Thank you, Jagged, but I'm quite alright." She reached down and picked up Allana, who was completely worn out. "First we have to contact Luke – tell him what is going on. He'll contact the Jedi as well as the military. What's another war, right?" She gave a lop-sided grin that Han Solo was so famous for – but both Jaina and Jag knew that her words were far too true. When was the last time any of them had enjoyed any sort of peace at all? Even when they were children, they were surrounded by war.

"And then," she continued, "we talk to my parents."

--

Leia Organa could never have imagined falling in love with a pirate like Han Solo. He was everything she was not – headstrong, impatient, arrogant. And yet, in her opinion, there could never be another man who could form a more perfect union with her. Through their years as husband and wife, they had melded together so much that she was becoming more like him everyday – and the same went for him. Han's apathy was replaced by her passion – and last night, the peace of mind she had possessed when she had been Princess Leia was replaced by Han's ever-present impulsiveness.

It had been a few hours before she had returned to herself and realized that, despite her dream, she and Han weren't going anywhere just yet. Once she came to this understanding, it was harder to convince Han to stay at home when their son's killer had been identified. He was so much more practiced at the impatience thing than she was.

He was still packed, waiting to leave their underground "home." Leia would have found it amusing, if she weren't so tempted to follow along in his fool-proof plan of showing up at this Lumiya's doorstep and putting a blaster bolt through her head.

"This whole damn galaxy can go to the Sith, for all I care," Han said after Leia had calmly tried to explain the situation they were in to him. "It would be more or less what it deserves."

Leia, who had been sitting down next to him, leaned forward. "You don't mean that."

"Anakin. Jacen. Chewbacca. Tenel Ka. Mara. I'm tired of fighting when all its done is take the people we love the most."

Leia faced him and put a hand to his cheek, caressing its beautiful lines. "So you just want to run away from everything we've ever worked for," she said in a gentle, mocking voice. "Get lost in the beauty of some remote world, without a care for war-torn innocents or cut-throat politics?"

Han placed his hand on her wrist. "Yes," he said seriously. "That's exactly what I want." Leia put her hand down and sat back on the couch, looking away from him. "Princess, it could all work out. We'd leave all of this behind, and Jaina could come with us – none of the Sword of the Jedi Sithspit, she would be happy and live her life the way she wants."

"She isn't going to quit fighting," Leia admonished him.

"I know," Han said sadly. "But sometimes it's nice to dream."

Leia nodded. "Sometimes it is. But other times we must face the reality of the situation, no matter how much it hurts."

"I'd rather not do that tonight," Han whispered into her ear. He turned her face toward him and kissed her on the lips, pushing until they fell back on the couch.


	5. Four: Master Strategy

Most of the galaxy considered Supreme Commander Gilad Pellaeon one of the most ruthless military leaders in recent memory. He supposed he had done his part to encourage such talk. Most commanders and generals kept their private life private from the public eye. He did more than that. It was as if he had no life outside of military strategy at all.

These days, that was the truth. So when intelligence agents informed him that Corellia was planning for assault, he hadn't been too surprised. He had already been planning a defense. Still, the fact that the spies' information came so late in the game worried him a bit.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Positive, sir," the spy answered.

Luke Skywalker stood up from his chair at the end of the oval table. "If I may say so, Supreme Commander, I have felt fluctuations in the Force that are hard to ignore. I myself am planning to gather the Jedi knights later this afternoon to discuss our next move."

Pellaeon regarded him. "Very well, Master Skywalker. I trust that you will inform me of any action the Jedi decide to take against this threat?"

"Of course, Sir," Skywalker said. "The Jedi currently serving in the Galactic Alliance military are at your disposal, as always."

Pellaeon stood up and turned off the holo-map of the Corellian system. "Rogue, Wraith, and Vanguard squadrons are ready. Spike and Yellow Aces almost so. I suppose now is the time to ask about how we are going to go about reinstating Twin Suns."

"I will speak to Jedi Jaina Solo and Master Durron about this matter," Skywalker said. "I will also inform Jedi Zekk – who, I assure you, will be anxious to serve in the same squadron as Solo."

Pellaeon, as well as everyone else here, was aware of the events of just a couple of years ago, when Solo and Zekk had been joined in the same Killik nest. He wasn't sure if that bond would be a good or bad thing for the Galactic Alliance, but now wasn't the time to consider it.

"Three Jedi in one twelve-fighter squadron. Are we pushing our luck, Master Skywalker?" This question came from the Mon Calamari admiral Cha Niathal. "I'd hate to think that the Jedi are taking over the Galactic Alliance military."

"Nonsense, Admiral," Pellaeon answered for Skywalker. "Jedi enhance our military abilities. They don't retract from them. They, from what I have seen of them, are eager to serve the Alliance."

"With all due respect, Supreme Commander," Skywalker said, "Jedi serve the Force."

"Very well, Sir," Pellaeon answered. "Then I hope the Force is with the Alliance in this war, because we are going to need your help."

--

Luke peered throughout the auditorium, memorizing all he could about the Jedi that were there. They always seemed to sit in the same place, among their friends… but today there were too many missing seats. Many had moved to sit among new friends because their old ones were no longer with them.

Kyp Durron was one of those. He was one of last surviving members of a group of arrogant Jedi Mara had once called a cult. This group included members such as Wurth Skidder and Ganner Rhysode. Their beliefs were simple, and the same: that Jedi should take aggressive action against enemies, and that the Order served a higher calling than the government. Perhaps they were right, but they had an inability to accept that as Jedi, they still were no more important than any force-blind person.

Of course, most of the "cult" – including Kyp, Wurth, and Ganner – had seen the error of their ways and changed accordingly. Kyp, however, still possessed the arrogance that, during deliberation meetings, could make him tough to deal with.

Next to Kyp, and this surprised Luke as much as everyone else, was Corran Horn, a Corellian Jedi, husband, and father who was just as stubborn as Kyp – and who most often disagreed heartily with him. During the Yuuzhan Vong war, Corran and Kyp fantasized about strangling each other to death, but today they sat together talking as friends do. This gave Luke hope that maybe his Jedi Order could survive another war intact.

A few rows behind Kyp and Corran sat the next generation of Jedi Knights. There were two empty seats – one for Tenel Ka, who, before her death, had left the order in order to concentrate on ruling her homeworld of Hapes, and, later, raising her child. Next to her was the seat that should have been Jacen's. And next to that seat, naturally, sat Jaina Solo.

Jaina was once his wife's apprentice, and she was the closest thing he and Mara had ever had to a daughter of their own. But Jaina never let anyone treat her as a little girl except for Han, and, though his brother-in-law would never admit this to anyone, Jaina was Han's favorite. Oh, sure, he loved all three of his children equally, but Jaina was the only one he'd ever trust with the _Millennium Falcon_ and the only one who truly took after Han more than Leia.

Zekk was right beside her. For years those two had been inseparable, and time had not changed that. They were more than friends and less than lovers. Luke knew that Jaina would need Zekk in the coming days and the coming months – just as Zekk needed Jaina's friendship after leaving the Shadow Academy. Zekk possessed the stability that Jaina was currently missing – and Luke believed that he could provide it to her.

Lowbacca was next, the headstrong wookiee (but then, what wookiee wasn't headstrong?) that had befriended Jaina, Jacen, Tenel Ka and Zekk. As Chewbacca's nephew, he had a certain protective nature about him. Luke doubted whether those four could have found a truer friend.

Across the aisle from them was Cilghal, a healer whose opinion Luke had always trusted, because it was always well thought out, and considered all angles of the situation. Her calm nature was an asset in these types of meetings when things became volatile, as they often did.

She was sitting next to the youngest of everyone there, and a boy who would rather not be at this meeting if it had not been for his father. Luke's son, though not a Jedi, was essential for Luke to remember why they fought so hard, when sometimes it seemed like results eluded them. Luke found that, as the grand master of all the Jedi, he had to shut out thoughts of Ben (and Mara) in order to keep himself from making a decision that was not in line with what the Force wanted, out of his own emotions and passion. Often he failed at this, but he was determined that the order he built would not suffer for that failure.

"Welcome," he greeted all of them. "Today is a day that could very well be pivotal for the future of the Alliance, and possibly the galaxy itself. And before some of you say 'We've faced this all before,' let me remind you one of the most important lessons the Yuuzhan Vong taught us: that victory is never certain, and it is never without its losses.

"This morning, I was informed by military intelligence that the world of Corellia is not only threatening, but planning, an insurrection – and they aren't leaning on diplomacy to achieve their goal. With this, as well as the recent disturbances in the Force, we must assume that we are about to enter into another galactic-scale war.

"At this moment, Supreme Commander Pellaeon is gathering his squadrons and soon some of you may be joining them." He threw a glance in Jaina's direction. "I have offered the supreme commander our _conditional_ support – depending on where this war takes us. None of us want another empire. Remember our true enemy is the darkness inside each of us, and the darkness inside others, as well. We all have a capacity for good and evil, and we must choose.

"I have noticed this within myself, as well. For all the wisdom I dole out, it takes much longer for me to take in those lessons. Though I am credited with rebuilding the Jedi Order, I was never without help. I was never infallible. Still, I believe in the redemption of souls – that the dark can be turned to light, that what matters is not what we have done, but what we will do. At times, some of us have nearly been consumed by the darkness. The greatest mistake, I believe, of the Jedi of the Old Republic, was that they lacked faith in this one notion – but I have seen it happen.

"This war, I believe, will test the light in all of us. Our friends have already been killed and the onset of war has been long coming. None of us will go without trials. This is why, my friends, we must choose our next move wisely." Luke turned toward Corran. "Master Horn, what is your opinion on this matter of Corellia?"

For a second, Corran's mouth hung open, as if he hadn't expected to be called on. But Luke was sure that he had his thoughts, and Corran's words didn't disappoint. "With all due respect to the military, I think any offensive charge at this point will only provoke the Corellians further. We should prepare to defend ourselves, while the government opens negotiations with Corellia. We must make sure that they are truly the bad guys here."

"No offense, Master," Kyp addressed Corran, "but you have personal stakes in this. The Corellians have already attacked at Hapes – which is why two of our own are dead!"

"One of our own," Corran argued. "Tenel Ka was no longer a Jedi."

This time it was Jaina Solo who spoke up. "Tenel Ka was a queen and a mother," she said, "and she was a better Jedi than I am, a friend always. Her death should mean something to the Order."

"And it does, Jedi Solo." Cilghal was next. "But we must be able to see things in a broader perspective. We must assume that not everyone one in Corellia is behind Corellia."

"And that means not preparing for a direct assault on the planet," Corran said. "That makes us just as bad as they are."

"We must always remember," Zekk added, "that it is our duty to protect the innocent, not to endanger them."

Kyp rose to get a better look at Zekk. "That's all well and good, but sometimes we have to endanger the minority in order to protect the majority."

Lowbacca roared something that most of the rest of the auditorium had understood, but not all. "Lowie just said that starting a fight before we know what we're fighting for is dangerous, and may cost even more Jedi lives than is necessary," Luke said.

"No one is suggesting we arrange a surface attack on Corellia," Kyp said, "but only that we should have some sort of plan other than waiting for whatever Corellia may dish out."

"Which is our only viable option at this point," Corran countered.

Someone in the back of the room cleared her throat. "Excuse me, but that's not true." Every Jedi in the room craned their neck back to the speaker – who was none other than Tahiri Veila. "There is one action we can pursue that would not endanger civilians – and it would give he Galactic Alliance an early advantage."

"Which is?" Corran asked.

"A trade blockade. Creating an interdiction field, we station pilots around Corellia and search all incoming and outgoing vessels to make sure that the Corellians are neither receiving nor sending out militaristic supplies."

"There would be ways around a blockade." Jaina stood up now. "We'd have to make sure no one is entering or leaving Corellia in order to make sure there are no loopholes," she said. "And then we'd have to violate the rights of Federation citizens."

"I don't think that would be right, either, Jaina," Tahiri continued. "But the kind of trade blockade I propose would actually be beneficial and not intrusive for the citizens. It keeps the planet secure from outside invasions and terrorists. And, if Corellian officials are busy trying to find away around the blockade – that is energy not spent on developing military strategy, which puts our side at an advantage."

Luke pondered Tahiri's suggestion. It wasn't foreign to him, but he had never considered it from the standpoint of a Jedi. "This is certainly something the military will think about and possibly want to execute," he said. "The question is – would it be serving the Force for the Jedi to contribute to such an action?"

"It is a legitimate compromise, Sir," Corran said. "It provides the Alliance with both intelligence and a tactical advantage. The more the military finds out about this threat, the more clear our way forward is."

"I agree, Master," Kyp said. "Before launching any sort of attack, this would be the most logical step."

"We have to be careful, though," Zekk chimed in. "While this, in and of itself, is not an overly aggressive plan, we should only enforce the blockade forcefully when the situation warrants it."

"Jaina?" Luke inquired.

Jaina was silent for a moment, as if thinking things through. Luke sensed a strange amount of fear from his niece – and he knew immediately that she was aware of something he wasn't. Finally, she spoke.

"I see no reason why we should not go down this avenue."

--

After the meeting, Jaina could not leave the auditorium fast enough. She walked down the street with the quickness of a woman on a mission. Yet she could not shake the presence that was following her everywhere. Jaina wanted nothing more than to be alone, but it was clear that _that _wasn't happening.

She spun around. "What do you _want, _Zekk?" she snapped.

If she had expected Zekk to shrink back, she was sorely disappointed. He merely said, "I'm worried about you. You seemed pretty freaked out back there."

"Why don't you just worry about yourself?" Jaina laughed sardonically and started to walk off again, but Zekk grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her around.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Nothing that concerns you," Jaina said. She started to turn around again. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go meet Jag."

She started walking, trying to get away, but Zekk kept in step with her. "Jag's here?" he asked, and for the first time, he seemed a bit taken aback. Perhaps, a little hurt? "Since when?"

"Since I rescued him from Tenupe – the same day Jacen died," Jaina said shortly.

"You planning on running off with him?" Zekk asked, trying, ineffectively, to break her tension.

"Maybe."

"Jaina, come on. Let me in on _something!"_

They finally stopped, and Jaina faced him, pointing a finger in his chest. "Alright. After Jacen and Tenel Ka died, I've been taking care of their daughter – Allana. And now another war's starting and if I die she'll be alone again and tell me, what good does that do?"

Zekk raised his eyebrows. "No good at all," he said simply. "But there's something you're keeping from me, Jaina. Why?"

Jaina sighed. "I can't tell you," she said. "And you are going to have to trust my judgment on that."

"I trust your judgment," Zekk said. "But does this have to with Jag? I don't really trust him."

Jaina chuckled softly and shook her head. "No, Jag doesn't know, either. He can't. No one can."

"Not even me?"

"Quit asking." Jaina's frustration was growing, but she knew better than to take it out on Zekk more than she already had. They didn't how much she wanted to tell _someone_ what was going on, but as soon as she did, something terrible was going to happen. The least she could do was to say goodbye, but that was easier said than done, especially when no one knew where she was going.

_I'm going on a suicide mission. If I don't make it back, I love you all._

It sounded crazy even in her head. And if she even started to say something like that to Zekk, her best friend, she didn't trust herself not to break down with the entire story.

Unexpectedly, tears started to well up in her eyes. She had to look away from Zekk; she couldn't let him see. But when she felt his hand on her shoulder, she knew that he had felt her moment of despair. So, having already lost this particular battle, she let him see her cry.

"Jaina…" Zekk wiped a stray tear from her face. "I know it's hard…Jacen gone – I can't imagine…"

"Jacen." Jaina suddenly remembered him and thanked the Force that Zekk had guessed wrong the reason she was upset. "The funeral is in three days."

"You can say goodbye," Zekk said.

_No, I can't. _"Yes." She tried to smile. _I can't say goodbye to anyone. Not my parents, not you…not Allana or Jag. _

This was a horrible way to die.

--

When she entered her rented room, Jag was already there, bouncing Allana on his knee. Jaina took a moment to marvel at that sight. Certainly, Jag was well equipped to take care of her. He could feed her, play with her, put her to sleep, love her… Jaina never dreamed that she would ask him to do this, but Allana had already grown an affection toward him – and he toward her.

She couldn't waste much more time. A twinge of sadness came over her, again. The last thing that she wanted was to cause Allana more pain. _She should be with Jag, _Jaina thought _if Jag's alright with that._

Jag looked up at her and smiled, not neglecting Allana's fun. "Hi," he said. "How was the meeting?"

Jaina just shrugged and leaned against the doorway, her arms crossed in contentment. "It was…a meeting. Kept interesting, as always, when Masters Horn and Durron starting arguing. Unfortunately, they didn't really get into it this time. They even agreed quite easily on the final solution."

Jag nodded. "And what was the final solution?"

Jaina laughed and sat down next to Jag at the edge of the bed. "Well, I'd think that telling you would be treason, you son of an ex-Imperial."

He rolled his eyes and grinned at her. "I suppose we'll have to do some spying in order to get those answers, won't we, Allana?" He held her up by the chest, and the girl laughed.

"What's spying?' she asked.

Both Jag and Jaina chuckled. "It's what your Aunt Jaina is so good at," Jag said.

Jaina gave her best lopsided grin. "Of course," she said, "why do you think I kept kissing you during the Yuuzhan Vong war?"

"Ew! You kissed each other!"

"Yes, we did," Jaina said, taking her from Jag and playfully laying her down on the bed. "And it was a lot like this." She started tickling Allana, who screamed with laughter, and then Jaina blew a raspberry on her stomach.

"That feels funny!"

"Oh, it does?" Jaina asked. "What about…_this?_" And then she began to tickle her underneath her arms.

Allana laughed and laughed, and soon Jag joined in the laughter, and Jaina was able to forget about everything that was going on.

"Grandma," Allana said suddenly.

"Wha - ?" Jaina started, standing up and turning around.

There, standing with her hands on her hips, and, though smiling, looking far too grave for the moment, stood Leia Organa Solo.

--

"We need to talk." Leia said the words with authority and confidence, though she had been dreading the moment since she started walking to her daughter's room. Seeing her there with Jag and Allana, seeing them all happy like Jaina hadn't been in years – it all just made this so much harder.

Jaina's eyes darted between them until she finally said, "Jag, could you give us a moment?"

"Sure," Jag said, grabbing the child. "Hey, Allana, do you like ice cream?"

"Yay!" Allana cheered, and they left the room.

Jaina took a seat at the edge of the bed, and Leia sat down on the chair across from her. "I don't know what you are planning to do, Jaina, but I'm going to find out."

Jaina shook her head and looked down at the ground. "Not you too," she said quietly. Leia knew that Jaina hadn't meant that for her ears.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, everyone's worried about me." Jaina's voice rose. "You, Zekk, Jag…Now I just wonder when Dad is going to jump in. I'm kind of surprised he hasn't already."

"He's on his way, actually," Leia said, "and you're avoiding the big picture."

Jaina stood up and walked to the desk where some paperwork Luke had given her was laid out. "I'm not avoiding it," Jaina said, "but I can't talk about it. I'm going to have to say that so many times… I'm shielding, Mom. You can't get into my mind. Only Zekk can, so I have to lie to him. Believe me, if I thought that there was a way to tell someone without any…" Her voice faltered for a moment. "_Shielding," _she said in an astonished whisper. "That's it! Mom – Luke can make himself disappear in the Force!"

Leia had no idea what Jaina was getting at, and it made her anxious. "What are you proposing?"

"Don't ask," said Jaina, rushing to give her a hug.

"Ask what?" Someone said from the doorway. "Don't tell me my girl's gotten herself into trouble again."

Leia didn't even spare a glance at Han – she was too busy trying to decipher the expression on her daughter's face and her feelings in the Force. Nothing seemed to work. "I don't know. She refuses to let me know anything."

Jaina ran to her father as if she hadn't even heard Leia. She squeezed him tightly around the chest. "Have to go, Dad," she said when she released him. "I have to see Luke."

"Wait a minute," Han said, putting a hand out in front of her chest to keep her from leaving. "Your mother and I haven't seen you in days, we've been worried sick, and as soon as we're in the same room you have to go – probably to inform Luke of some dangerous mission you think you have to go on. But, honey, I'm not letting you go so easily."

Jaina rolled her eyes. "I'm twenty-eight years old, Dad," she said, sighing. "It's time you start trusting me."

"I'll trust you when you stop risking your life."

"I'm a fighter pilot," Jaina argued, "and a Jedi. Risking my life is part of the job description."

"Han," Leia said, walking over to her husband. "As much as I hate to say this – Jaina is right. She is no longer a child and we have to trust her judgment, no matter what the case may be."

"And let her get killed the way Jacen and Anakin were!"

"Dad, I don't like this any more than you do," Jaina said. "But I have to do it. I don't have a choice, and I wish to the Force I could tell you – but it's too dangerous. I have to do this, and I have to do it on my own. I want to say more, I do, but that's a risk I cannot take."

Leia caressed his shoulder, and she could sense her husband softening up. "I don't want to lose you, too," he said. "I can't go through that again."

For a second, Leia buried her face in the crook of his neck, kissing him softly there before bringing her head back up. She, too, was terrified of what would happen to Jaina. More than anything she wanted to take them both and escape where they would no longer face these dangers. Yet they weren't the only family that had battled this kind of tragedy – and to keep fighting was the only option Jaina would accept. It made her proud. Proud, but scared.

"I think that there's a way I can make it back," Jaina said, very quietly, aware that they were inadequate words of consolation – though they were all she had. "But I need to see Luke."

Both of the women waited for Han to speak. His guard was falling as Leia rubbed his back – a comfort gesture, not something in order to try to change his mind. His mind was already made up. He knew that. He knew what the right thing was. The thing was – it killed him to say it.

"Go."

He barely got the word out.

--

Ben walked down a darkened hallway in the Jedi temple where he had never been before. His dad was still here, and he had strict orders not to leave without him. Ben had to admit – it was pretty boring. Nobody remained – save for Jaina, who was running into a room on the opposite end of the hall, into the room where Ben felt his father's presence. Ben quietly jogged to the doorway, intending to use the eavesdropping skills he had learned from his mother.

"Why would you want to learn to hide in the Force?" his father was asking.

"Before I tell you, I need you to hide us, right now," Jaina said. "I know you can do this."

In the next moment, Ben felt peculiarly strange. It was as if he had left himself, and only then did he realize that his father had hidden _him_ as well. That meant that Luke knew he was listening.

Well, Ben couldn't say that he was surprised. He never could hide from his dad.

"Luke, on Corellia, I met someone. Brisha Syo. And she told me…she told that there's a bomb. Somewhere on Coruscant. And that if I don't give myself up – that Corellia, or whoever is in charge – they'll set it off."

Panic rose up in Ben. Between having an entire building, or more, of civilians killed, and having Jaina killed, he wasn't sure which one he'd choose.

_A Jedi doesn't decide with emotion._

"What does someone want with you?" his father asked.

"I don't know. That's what I want to find out."

"I don't think you'll like the answer."

No, no, no. Jaina just _couldn't_ be thinking of letting herself get captured. How could she trust what some Corellian told her? They were the _enemy._

"She can use the Force, Luke," Jaina said. "You can't let your emotions get the better of you. If she finds out that I've told you…"

"I know."

Was she kidding? How was he going to hide something like this? Perhaps they wouldn't be looking to him – perhaps he was too young – perhaps he could be trusted.

Or, at least, his father thought that he could be trusted.

A slip of the mind, that's all it would take. But, at least then Jaina would be safe. Wouldn't she?

_A Jedi always does what is right, despite the consequences._

"I don't have much time to learn," Jaina said.

"You have risked much in telling me this."

"I didn't have a choice."

"No, you did. And you made the right choice, Jaina. This is a task you cannot hope to complete alone."

Ben tried his hardest to stay still in the place he was standing, but he couldn't help leaning forward to hear better. He made sure to be quiet. As soon as he interrupted, they'd stop talking and he'd never know what was going on. Some people had a hard time accepting that he wasn't a little boy anymore. He was 10-years-old, for Force's sake! He could handle the truth!

At least his dad wasn't stopping him yet. Oh, but he'd be in trouble later, that he was sure of.

_Imagine what Mom would say._

Well, underneath her anger, she'd be proud.

It was too bad she wasn't here to help him. He really missed her.

--

In this moment, Luke Skywalker was only sure of three things: one, that his niece was in grave danger, two, that his wife was dead, and three, that his son was listening. None of these facts pleased him. On the contrary, they filled him with dread. Losing Mara was bad enough. Now Jaina was in a bad place – and Ben, if he continued to gleam information from outside that door, would soon follow after.

But he dared not interrupt his concentration to send him away. That would just be more dangerous. No, he would have to hide Ben in the Force until the danger had passed. It would be a remarkable feat if he could accomplish it.

"You'll need to take a recorder with you, to gather information," Luke said to Jaina. "While you are in Maltis's custody – you need to learn the location of the bomb and let me know in secret. Then I'll send a team of Jedi to dismantle it."

Jaina shook her head. "So much could go wrong."

"Much has already gone wrong," Luke corrected her. "But we cannot worry about that right now. We must focus on what must be done – and not what we cannot change." _Oh, Ben, please leave. If anyone found out that you knew this…_"You will stay close to me until you have mastered this skill. That way you will remain hidden."

"Yes, Master," Jaina said, foregoing the casual use of "Uncle Luke." Perhaps the past few months had erased most of the informality in between them. Being around Jaina made him uncomfortable – but he buried his feelings behind his work. _May she forgive me when she finds out the depths to which I fell._

"I will need you to help watch Ben," he continued. "I will need to know where he is at all times." He hoped that Ben could understand that part. He hoped that he heard the gravity of his voice. Things like those were hard to communicate without the Force – and he had taken it away.

"The funeral…"

"As long as I am there, you and your family will be safe," Luke assured her.

"So we're basically stuck to each other." Jaina did not manage to keep the derision out of her voice. "Lovely."

Luke ignored it. "I need you to open yourself to the Force."

"You're blocking it, remember?"

"No, I'm not," Luke said. "I'm hiding you. The Force is always there. Open yourself up." He closed his eyes, feeling the Force surround itself around Jaina. "Now I want you to concentrate inwardly, on your own life energy. Fill the energy inside of you with the energy that's around you." Suddenly Jaina's presence became stronger, more powerful. It was working. "Now shut it down."

"How?" Jaina asked.

"Make it smaller," Luke said. "Your energies. Shrink them until they aren't there anymore."

Her presence dimmed and dimmed…

And then, suddenly, she appeared again.

Jaina smiled up at him. "I might need some work."


	6. Five: Burial

Luke woke up that morning in dread. His Force presence – along with Jaina's and Ben's – was well-concealed. Jaina had made considerable improvement the previous night. When the time came, she would be ready.

Two days.

Now wasn't the time to think about that. Today, his thoughts rested on something that terrified him even more –

He was giving the eulogy at Jacen's funeral.

He had loved Jacen. It was a love as close as father and son – master and apprentice. But in his own time, Jacen had grown and proven he was ready to succeed on his own. The war against the Yuuzhan Vong had been hard on all the Jedi – but a new generation was molded out of the fighting, equipped for whatever the galaxy may bring.

When Luke knighted Jacen, more than anything, he had been _proud._

But as Jacen died – he died knowing something else entirely…

Luke's hatred.

It was undeserved. How could Luke have known that? After the dream that came to him every night – the one he couldn't get out of his head even in the waking hours – it was enough to drive anyone mad. Even Luke Skywalker.

It had only been a dream. It hadn't been real.

Had it?

"_I didn't kill Mara!"_

"_You lie!"_

Jacen was falling. It was easy to see that. It was easy to believe that Jacen could murder his aunt in cold blood.

But it was just a dream.

A _dream! _It had been so vivid, so real…

_"Jacen was with me. Here!"_

Tenel Ka had told him the truth, an hour before she died. She was still the only one who knew everything. Even though he had tried to save her, he was determined to keep that true.

Jaina walked in the living room holding a cup of caf. He had heard her murmuring in her sleep last night. She had called names. Jag, Allana…Jacen.

_What have I done?_

"I need to practice more," she said, not bothering with the small talk.

"You don't need me to do that," Luke said. "I have nothing more to teach you."

She nodded at him, and her presence disappeared. She started to do his household chores – trying to see if she could keep up her concentration while setting her mind on a task. Luke retreated to his bedroom to meditate.

_Jacen was as good as dead. He had fought his battle; he just lied there, waiting for the end. His skin was stained red. And as Luke approached him, he didn't care._

_He concentrated on the objects around him. They flew in circles around the room and his focus on them kept the memory at bay._

_Or, it should have._

_"Don't give in, Luke," Jacen said, his voice too strong for his weakened state._

He tried to feel for Jaina. She was gone. She was succeeding. Good for her. Good for everyone.

_"You killed her!" _

_He couldn't stop it. He tried to get up; he was trapped. He couldn't move. The Force was acting on its own._

_Jacen put his hand over his eyes as if the plasma from Luke's blade blinded him._

He had to shut it down. If he was having this vision…maybe Jaina was, as well. Or Ben. He couldn't have his son see the worst of him. He'd hate him. They'd all hate him.

But there was absolutely nothing he could do.

"_It wasn't me, Luke," Jacen yelled. "It was _her! _She's played us all!" Luke didn't bother to ask who he was talking about. He was tired of the lies. "I never fell. I almost did – but I swear to you – it's still me, Luke! Don't do this!"_

_But Luke couldn't be reckoned with. There was a swift stroke of his green blade…_

_And Jacen was forever silenced._

Nothing.

Luke opened his eyes, his room a mess. Jaina stood over him, her Hand on his forehead.

"Uncle Luke," she said, "are you okay? You fainted while you were meditating."

He took a second to focus. She hadn't seen.

"You're still hidden," he said.

Jaina smiled. "I _am_ a quick learner."

--

The temple was bathed in white as the two fallen Jedi lied at the front of the auditorium. The entire Order had filtered in, as well as all the remaining royalty of the Hapes Consortium – not to mention the family and friends that numbered in the hundreds.

Han Solo didn't appreciate the crowd.

He didn't appreciate a lot of things, actually. Last night Leia had told him that she had lost Jaina in the Force – a revelation that had come with so much terror – and then she had told him that Luke was gone, too, and it didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on. Luke was putting his last child in danger, and he would have to have a talk with him about that.

Now wasn't the time. Jaina was up front, looking very alive and healthy. He and Leia made their way down the aisle to her. Luke, Ben, and Allana were at her side. Behind her was Jagged Fel. Briefly, Han wondered what he was doing there. He hadn't been a great friend of Jacen's – and he hardly knew Tenel Ka – what could be his purpose? Then Han saw him put his Hand on Jaina's shoulder, and he understood. The kid was in love with his girl. Knowing that brought more comfort to Han than it should have.

Luke walked up to the stage and stood in between the two dead bodies – bodies that, to Han's understanding of the Jedi, should have disappeared by now, but he wasn't going to bother himself with _that _question.

"Being a Jedi means sacrifice," Luke said to start the eulogy. "Sacrificing yourself. Nobody exemplified that better than these two young people here with me. Both sacrificed their love – and eventually their lives – for duty, the love they had for the galaxy."

If there was one thing that Han didn't want to hear, it was what Luke was saying. He knew that his son was a hero – _both _of his sons were. What he wanted was his little boy back, the one he bounced on his knee, the one who, after saving the galaxy from the Yuuzhan Vong threat, came home and embraced him with tears. He wanted Jacen, but he was gone.

He didn't listen to the rest of Luke's speech. He didn't hear it. He heard nothing – not even the chant the Jedi performed, some sort of code they followed. Han had no desire to understand Jedi ways. He knew his wife, and he knew his kids, and that was enough.

When it was all over, Han didn't notice. It took a tap on the shoulder from Luke to bring him out of his reverie. "It's time," the Jedi Master said.

Han, Luke, Jaina and Leia walked up to Jacen's body, as Prince Isolder and three of Tenel Ka's closest friends stood next to hers. Han and Leia picked up the poles at the front of the bed where Jacen lied, while Luke and Jaina grabbed the ones by his feet. The crowd watched in silence, standing, as the four of them walked Jacen down the aisle and outside of the temple.

They came to the funeral pyre in the middle of a wood behind the temple, and set Jacen on top of it. People were now gathered around him, and Han spoke.

"As I light this, I have to say that – this is the hardest thing I've ever done. Tonight, Jacen's body will go up in flames and that will be it for me. I don't have the Force – I can't communicate with people beyond the dead. I don't know how that works. This is my last chance to say goodbye to him." He turned toward his son, looking straight at his face. "Jacen, I couldn't be prouder of you. Wish you were still here." Tears started to form in Han's eyes, but he wasn't ashamed. "Love ya, kid."

He turned back toward Luke, who handed him a tree branch that had been lit. Han touched the fire to the wood that supported Jacen – and the entire pyre went up in flames, taking his son with it.

It seemed to go on for hours, but eventually it was just the four of them – Leia, Jaina, Luke, and him – standing outside the temple. Jag had taken Allana home to his flat as a favor to Jaina and Han made a mental note to visit his granddaughter later.

Now he had another task: trying to convince Jaina to come home with him and Leia. Maybe then they could find out what was going on.

"I really need to stay with Luke tonight," Jaina said.

That certainly wasn't what Han had expected (or wanted). Leia was the next to say something. "We miss you. We want you to come home with us – just for a night. I'm sure you and Luke can catch up with whatever this is in the morning."

Jaina gave her mother a hug and then backed off. Her eyes were watering. "That's not possible," she said.

_Of course not,_ thought Han. It wouldn't be possible – not with Luke around always to rule her around the galaxy, fighting his wars. Han didn't say what he was thinking – not after the angry glare that Leia sent him, having felt his animosity.

Luke understood, nonetheless. "If I could, I'd let her stay with you," he said. Luke took Leia's Hand, kissing it as if she were once again an Alderaanian princess and he was just an inconspicuous farm boy.

"Fine," Leia said in a tone that was anything but.

Jaina leapt and hugged them both. "I'll see you again before I leave," she said.

"No chance of you telling us where you're going, is there?" Han asked.

Jaina shook her head. "At this point, I'm not even totally sure."

He should have known.

--

Jag couldn't sleep. He had hardly spoken to Jaina all day – except for the greeting and farewell they had at the funeral – and his gut was telling him that all was not well. He didn't even know why she wasn't coming back to the flat.

Then she appeared as a translucent holo-image on his sofa's end table, as if she had read his thoughts. "Jag," she said. "I need to talk to you."

Jag stood up and walked to her, and a part of him wanted to run his Hand across her cheek – even though he knew that the image wasn't real. "What's going on?" he said.

"Allana – " Jaina said – "is she asleep?" He nodded. At least one of them was getting rest. "Good. It might be…wise…if she stayed asleep for the time being."

"I don't think that will be a problem," he said. "Today's been exhausting." He breathed deeply. "What is it, Jaina?"

She just shook her head. "I wanted to see you," she said.

"Jaina – what are you doing?" Jag asked. "Your parents are worried, and frankly, so am I."

"I wish you could know," Jaina said.

"But Luke can?"

"Jag, don't do this," she said. Her voice was low, like a sickness. "I'll make it back."

He raised his eyebrows. "I'm not even sure you believe that."

"I don't have a choice," she said. "I don't want to go. I don't want to leave all of this behind. There's something…here."

"You mean, between us?" Jag asked.

Jaina nodded. "I'm starting to wonder if I can ever have the life that will make me happy," she said. "I see you and Allana and I know what I want, but I have to do my duty. It's my responsibility."

"No," said Jag, "what responsibility? You have a responsibility to your family."

"Yes, I do, and would you believe me if I said that I'm doing this for them?"

"No."

She was quiet for a moment. "Fair enough. But, you need to make me a promise." Jag closed his eyes. "You have to promise me that, as soon as I leave, you'll get Allana off the planet."

"Jaina…"

"Trust me on this, Jag." She sighed, and her voice got even quieter, almost to a whisper. "It's too risky, leaving her here. There are things you don't know, that you can't know…yet."

"I suppose that means I will know some time," Jag said.

"I hope so," Jaina said. "Just don't let anything happen to her."

Jag gave a small smile. There was only one thing that he _was _sure of at this moment – that he would fulfill Jaina's request. _Nobody _was going to touch Allana.

--

The sun was rising, but ground-level Coruscant rarely received much sunlight. Leia Solo walked out of the flat with a cup of caf in her hands to warm her up. The fresh air was welcome in her lungs. Later that morning, she would go to Luke's – before Jaina left for good.

She heard Han approach her from behind and trembled as he put his hands on her waist. "How long?" he said.

"How long for what?"

"Until we leave this place and fight."

Leia turned around and planted a kiss on his lips. "It's coming," she said. "You could use a little patience, Flyboy."

He cupped his hands around her wrists. "That's never been one of my stronger points," he said.

She smiled and even attempted to laugh at that before she fell into his arms, her head against his chest. "What are we going to do?"

"What we have to," said Han, kissing her forehead. "Just like Jaina's doing what she has to do, no matter how much we hate it."

She rested there for a moment with her eyes closed and thought of all of the battles they had been in, all the fights their children had joined. Retiring from that life now was out of the question. Though Han had suggested it, Leia doubted whether he would even want to leave the life they'd lived for years.

"It's your homeworld we're fighting against," she said.

"And it's our daughter they've got wrapped up in this," Han argued. They both went back inside to warmth. "If Corellia wants its independence, I'm all for it. The last thing we need is for the Galactic Alliance to become another empire. But if this is how they plan to secede, count me out. I'm not going to war against the only child I have left."

"Cal Omas plans to open negotiations today," Leia said. "Perhaps something can be worked out, and we won't have to go through with things as they are planned. And Jaina could come home."

"I don't think that'll work," said Han.

"Why not?"

"My cousin's still the Head of State."

--

Jag sat up from where he had been sleeping – the couch in the living room - welcoming the brightness of the sunrise as well as the sound of speeders flying through the sky as citizens made their morning commutes. He hadn't really slept the previous night. After speaking to Jaina, he made a point to check in on Allana every couple of hours. Most of those times, she was asleep. Occasionally, she'd want for something – a story or a snack. He provided for those needs as well as he could.

Allana's sudden appearance in his life was not something he expected, but it was a duty he welcomed, not just for the sake of duty, but because he felt a genuine affection for her. He had no idea what it was like to be a father, but he imagined it went something like this. And while he hesitated to use the word "love," he could not think of a better descriptor.

He walked in to her room again, and she was just waking up in her own chair. She rubbed her eyes and yawned as she sat up. When she noticed Jag in the doorway, she ran to hug him and he picked her up in his arms, laughing.

"Good dreams last night?" he asked her.

"No," she said. Jag was still holding her as she shook her head. "Bad dreams. But iss okay. Dey weren' real."

Jag sighed and sat down on her recliner, resting her on his lap. "You want to tell me about it?"

"Okay," Allana said. "Mommy was playin' wit me."

Jag listened, waiting for the rest of the story. It never came. "That doesn't sound like a bad dream," he said.

"Mommy can't play wit me anymore," Allana said simply. "Mommy's gone."

Jag ran his fingers through her hair. There was nothing he wouldn't give to take her pain away, but the universe had other plans. Why would it torture a small child like this? There weren't any answers that he could understand. Or, maybe there were. He just didn't want to hear them.

"When I was little, I loved to play in the snow with my brothers and older sister," he said. "Do you like snow?"

"Yes," she said. "I love snow."

He smiled. "So do I. My younger sister, when she was your age, she wanted to play with us in the snow and my parents said no – she was too young. So one night, we were all sleeping, and there was snow outside. You know what she did?"

"What?" Allana asked, sitting up straight.

"She went outside in the snow, all alone. As it turned out, the snow wasn't what she thought it would be like. It was very cold, and Wynessa – that was her name – she didn't like the cold at all. But she was very scared of what her parents would say if they heard her come back inside the house. So she stayed out there."

"Did she play?"

Jag shook his head. "No," he said. "There was no one to play with her, and after a while, she started to get very sick.

"Later that night – she had been outside for a few hours – my older sister woke me up and she told me that Wynessa was missing. The first thing we did was tell our mom and dad. We went outside, and there was my sister – passed out from the cold. I thought she was dying, I was so terrified. My father picked her up and ran to a med center. I've never seen him run that fast. We all followed.

"Wynessa was fine. When she woke up in the med center that morning, our whole family was there. She cried, kept saying 'I'm sorry,' and my dad just hugged her and told her – 'there's nothing in the galaxy that could ever take away my love for you.'"

Allana shifted to sit down beside him. "So, did she get to play in the snow?" she asked.

"Not until she was older," Jag said with a chuckle as he wrapped his arm around her. "Listen to me: even though your parents are gone – they loved you very, very much, and nothing can ever take that away. As you start to see that, you'll start to see them. Say, like in your dreams."

"The dream was real?"

Jag bit his lip. "The memory, and the love you felt – that's very real."

"I wan' more than that," she said.

He pulled her closer and kissed her forehead. "I know you do," he said.

The holocomm buzzed in the living room. "I'll be right back," he said as he left to go answer it.

The figure of his uncle gave him a greater jolt of surprise than Jaina had last night. "General Antilles," he said, "what's going on?"

The general smiled at him with a gentleness Jag wasn't used to. "There's no need for the military jargon anymore, Jagged. Wedge will do."

"Old habits die hard, I guess," Jag said.

"So do retired and exiled servicemen," Wedge said. "But I'm not calling you out of military concerns."

Jag raised an eyebrow and his arms folded across his chest. He'd known his uncle a long time – though they hadn't spoken in a couple of years – and whenever they had talked like this in the past, it had been about matters of war. He loved his uncle, but the last thing he wanted to see was an icon of his military career.

Those days were over.

"It's about your parents," Wedge told him.

"My parents?"

"Yes," Wedge said. "They're coming to visit you."

Jag looked around to the door to the bedroom – where Allana was. He expelled a quick breath of air before he chose his next words.

"They didn't wish to inform me of this themselves?"

"They didn't think you'd wish to hear from them." Wedge sounded uneasy.

Jag's jaw shifted. "They were right," he said. He walked around to the other side of the holocomm where Wedge couldn't see him. They faced opposite directions and Jag wasn't moving out of his stone-cold posture, even if no one was around to see it.

"Despite everything, they want you to know how much they care about you," Wedge said. "They sent rescue missions when you went missing."

"Look how much good that did," Jag said.

"Your exile is not their fault."

This time Jag did turn around, so that he faced Wedge's back. "It isn't about that," he said. "I just told Allana how much my parents loved me and my brothers and sisters. Do you know her? Jacen Solo's kid. I don't even know where it came from, why I even told her."

"Perhaps it is because you, after all these years, are starting to understand how they feel about you," Wedge said. "You never understand how much your parents love you until you have a child."

"I can't _not_ be angry at them, Uncle," Jag admitted.

"Bitterness is an ugly emotion, my friend," Wedge said. "Perhaps they wish to make up their wrongs to you. You aren't the only one who has been through pain."

"Don't defend them, Wedge," Jag said. "It doesn't help; it only makes me angrier."

"And yet I've always found it difficult to hold a grudge against family," Wedge said.

"What are you talking about?" Jag asked. "You and my father have held grudges against each other since my parents were married."

"I hold the utmost respect for your father. He is a good man."

Jag snorted. "Honorable, yes. It's hard for me to think of him as 'good.'"

"In time you will change your mind, Jagged," Wedge said. It wasn't so much as a request or even a command as it was a statement of fact, and a testament to the faith Wedge had in Jag to do the right thing. "They will be here at about 1200 hours tomorrow."

Wedge's image fizzled out, leaving Jag to stare openly into space. So his parents were coming tomorrow? He would deal with that when the time came. Today there were other matters at hand.

--

Across the town, in a sky-high Coruscant apartment, Jaina Solo stood in her uncle's balcony as the fresh, cold air seeped through her skin. She was altogether undetectable by any means known in the galaxy – which meant that her mission was off to a good start.

In two hours time, she would leave Coruscant and all that she loved behind. When would she return? Would she return at all?

Those were questions she wasn't asking.


End file.
